


We'll Always Have Hope

by Lockedsoulsam



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-03 08:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 52,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15815178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lockedsoulsam/pseuds/Lockedsoulsam
Summary: “Are you saying I seduced you? “Regina frowned. “If I remember correctly, it was you that pinned me against the bed. It was you who kissed me. It was also you that pulled my panties down using your-“ Emma had messed up. She had messed up badly. There was no way she could choose between her best friend that she had been in love with for years and her husband who she just kind of tolerated. After their impromptu trip for their son's graduation, A few positive pregnancy tests changes Emma’s life forever and makes the decision for her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Art for ''We'll Always Have Hope'' by LockedSoulsAM](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15810642) by [delta2707](https://archiveofourown.org/users/delta2707/pseuds/delta2707). 



There were so many tests, so many boxes; too many different options and brands stacked on shelves, just waiting for someone to purchase one. Slogans on top of slogans branded in bold letters. 

Signs of "Over 99% Accurate." and "Find out you're pregnant in minutes" taunted her from every box. This aisle could be intimidating even without the irony of having condoms and feminine hygiene items just on the opposite shelf Emma snorted to herself.

She blinked back a few tears to scan each box, not knowing how in the world she’d gotten to this point in her life. She should be happy about this very moment, but instead, she felt miserable, but if there was one thing Emma Swan did not do in public, it was cry. Flipping her hair behind her shoulders, Emma looked unsure as her eyes scanned over a box before grabbing three and slipping them into her basket. The last time she’d done this, she was behind the bars of a jail cell and she felt those similar insecurities sneak into her as she walked along the aisle.

Life was vastly different for her now that it was back then; The circumstances were different. She was older, she had a job, and a husband--everything she didn’t have when she was pregnant with Henry. That didn’t explain the heartache she felt. She clasped her hands together over the handle of the basket, her nerves already wracked from her frantic thoughts the night before. She hadn’t thought about having children with Hook since they were first married. Times had changed, they had changed, and yet here she was. The nagging feeling in the back of her mind left her unsure of the impossible. 

She thought back to Henry’s graduation trip, the night where she and Regina shared something more than just a room. Coming back to her senses hadn’t been easy after that. They’d been avoiding each other since that trip and probably would for a while after. Emma was a married woman for goodness’ sake. The reality of her actions was hitting her full force as she reached the counter to buy her tests. 

She thought about how hurt Regina would be if she found out Emma was carrying Hook’s baby. The friendship they’d built would be broken beyond return. Sure, sleeping together had brought heavy emotions and awkward exchanges but this was different. Emma shook her head as she tried to understand why she was more afraid of Regina’s reaction than her husband’s. Emma frowned intently as she stepped up to the counter of the local pharmacy. Doc gave her a questioning glance but with one glare from her, he didn't say a word. The warning was clear and her purchase would be confidential. Emma took her bag of pregnancy tests and slipped them into her oversized purse. Rarely did she ever use a purse but today the circumstances were different.

Storybrooke’s favorite pastime was gossip and she didn’t need Regina nor Hook finding out from some nosy citizen. She had to tell them on her own time, if she was pregnant, that is. With a final sigh, Emma decided to go home first. She was due at the station in a couple hours and she figured she had enough time to figure a few things out. Emma shuddered at the thought of her actions. Though there hadn’t been any new threats here in Storybrooke, she dreaded to think of the damage she’d been doing. Drinking, her unhealthy diet, climbing trees, and chasing bad guys-- all things a pregnant woman wasn’t supposed to be doing.

If there was something Emma was sure of in her life, it was her period coming around the same time every month. The words weighed heavily in the back of her head as she thought of all the signs. Her constant nausea, new appetite, tender breasts and a sudden urge to cry at every single sad puppy commercial that comes on television. Those could be excused as symptoms of PMS but as Emma calculated she had missed two periods so far.

A lot of things didn't make sense right now but one thing was for sure; she needed to find out. She needed to know if she was with child.

         

                                                                                                                               ***

As she pulled into her garage, Emma thanked the higher powers that no one was home. Henry was away in another realm and she missed him dearly. They hadn’t talked much due to communication problems with him being in another realm and all but she continued to miss him. Usually, she would be with Regina right now, she would be taking comfort in reminiscing with Regina about Henry’s childhood.

They would laugh at Regina’s stories about how mischievous Henry was over his terrible two’s. It’s what they did. Her fake memories from the second curse offered her a lot of comfort during times when she really missed him. His first steps were fuzzy in her mind but she held onto it just as dearly.

Now here she was possibly pregnant with another baby. Emma denied that it could still be a thing as she stepped into her home. She kicked off her boots and quickly walked into the bathroom on the first floor. Dropping the bag unceremoniously onto the floor, she quickly unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down to her ankles. She used her toe to pull the bag close to her to pull each stick out of its box.

Her eyes scanned the instructions before she shoved each test between her legs. The butterflies in her stomach felt no different from when she was 18, willing yourself to pee on command would always be awkward. It felt like an eternity before she was done and sitting with the tests on paper towel. The timer on her phone counted back the longest five minutes of her life. Two pink lines meant pregnant and one meant not pregnant. It would be easy enough, right?

A little part of Emma wanted a baby, yearned for one of her own that she would get to feel growing inside of her again. Her hands found their way to her midsection where a child would be growing. She never got to enjoy that with Henry. Most of her nights were spent crying and in pain from the discomfort of prison beds. A small smile slipped onto her features at the thought of Henry possibly being an older brother.

  
He was so grown up now, in a whole other realm finding his own story. What would he think about the idea of having a younger sibling? Would he be excited or would he think that she was trying to replace him?

That was certainly something she wouldn't be doing. Emma stood to check the tests with baited breath but was stopped by the ringing of her doorbell. Who in the world could that be? Her eyes glanced over the tests not really being able to see what the results were. The doorbell rang incessantly and she huffed.

"Okay, okay!" Emma yelled as she marched to the door in annoyance. Swinging the door open, the person she least expected smiled back at her.

"Mom?" Emma questioned. Emma couldn’t remember inviting her mother over.

"Emma, Hi." Snow smiled widely. She was oblivious to Emma’s current state. Lifting a basket into view, Snow practically shoved it into Emma’s arms. "I brought muffins."

Emma internally rolled her eyes and cringed. A wave of nausea hit her and the last thing she wanted was muffins. The idea of eating anything now could cause her to blow.

"Snow that's kind of you but you really, _really_ , didn't have to," Emma stressed. "I was kind of in the middle of something and I..."

"I understand Emma." Snow's smile quickly faded. “I know you and Regina usually hang out but I thought this time we could. I didn’t mean to intrude. I'll just go."

Snow turned away like a sad puppy with its tail between their legs. Emma knew her mother had good intentions and immediately felt her heart drop. Snow sure was laying the guilt on thick. Emma had an internal battle and before Snow could step off her stoop she called to her.

"Mom, would you like to come inside for a drink?" Emma found herself saying. Snow's smile widened and she stepped aside to let the woman in.

Emma closed the door behind her and glanced in the direction of the bathroom. The timer had gone off before she answered the door. She was itching to know the results of the tests but right now it could wait.

Emma suddenly didn’t really want to be alone and even though Snow's appearance was unexpected, it wasn't unwelcome. She follows Snow into the kitchen where she begins to pour Snow a glass of apple juice.

"This is kind of all we have Hook forgot to go grocery shopping.” Emma set the cup in front of her mother.

“Emma, are you okay?”

Emma faltered for a second before quickly coming up with an excuse. "I have a stomach ache,” and Emma hoped that Snow bought it.

Snow frowned and pulled back for good measure. She looked at Emma and squinted. She didn't seem sick besides a slight glow to her skin. Maybe she had a fever too.

"It's nothing contagious. Don't worry." Emma could see the wheels turning in her mother’s head.

"Oh, thank god.” Snow looked around the kitchen one last time before she took the cup from Emma. It was awfully quiet here. "Have you been able to speak to Henry any since the last time?”

"No, it’s hard not being able to talk to him." Emma leaned against the counter awkwardly. "I just hope he’s safe. It’s been a wild ride for him here in Storybrooke.”

"It's been a wild ride for all of us." Snow agreed shaking her head. "It still doesn't explain why we haven't heard from you."

Emma knit her brows and looked on in confusion. They had dinner last week together. She wasn’t intentionally avoiding her family there was just a lot on her mind.

“Whenever you’re around you seem so far off.” Snow searched her eyes for any indication of a problem. They weren’t close by any means but Emma was always truthful to her.

Emma’s eyes widened and she nodded absentmindedly. Her mind was obviously somewhere else. 

“Regina's asked about you a couple times." Snow began. "She misses you it seems."

"Yeah?" Emma gave a look of hope. It wasn’t that she didn’t miss Regina, it was that she just couldn’t face her yet. She was not prepared to. She wasn’t ready to face the music and discuss that night. 

The idea of Regina missing her wasn’t so farfetched. They were best friends and had worked together to save Storybrooke multiple times. They shared a son for crying out loud. Their night at the hotel in Philadelphia was one filled with passion and pent-up energy. Years worth of hidden feelings were let out even though they shouldn’t have been. They had been caught up in the heat of the moment and Emma didn’t want to look too much into it. Emma could almost convince herself that it had never happened but as memories of Regina moaning beneath her and writhing under the onslaught of her tongue and fingers flashed before her eyes, she knew it was something she could never forget. Those images and the sounds Regina made when she climaxed would forever be ingrained in her mind.

She had been racked with guilt ever since. Every night she laid with Hook, her husband, she felt herself slipping into their lie of happiness even more. She could live in her lie enough to get pregnant and move on with life. Emma rolled her eyes as she got too ahead of herself. She didn't even know if she was pregnant yet.

"Emma! Emma!" Snow waved to catch her attention. She was zoning out a lot today. Emma focused her eyes on Snow in annoyance. "I was asking if you were going into work today?”

The house phone began to ring before Emma could answer. Caller ID showed that it was Hook calling from the station. A feeling of irritation coursed through her veins as she picked up. His constant hovering never stopped and hadn’t lessened as the years went by. She held up a finger to Snow signaling for her to wait.

"Hi, Killian, what’s up?” She spoke into the phone. "Did you need anything? Is everything okay?"

Snow listened intently in the background before going off to search for the bathroom. She steps through the hallway and observes several pictures until she reaches the room she wanted. The door was open and Snow cheered internally as she stepped into the bathroom. Her eyes zeroed in on three tiny sticks sitting on the counter. Emma's phone was sitting next to the sticks along with a few boxes.  Her eyes widened as she picked up a box and read over it.

"Emma's..." Snow whispered to herself. "Oh my god."

"I was just checking to make sure that you were coming into work this morning. We miss you here in the office.” Hook said.

"Of course." Emma nodded but then answered aloud when she realized Hook couldn’t see her. “I should be over soon I’m just taking care…of a few things.”

"Anything I should be concerned about?”

“NO, no, just normal girl stuff—” Emma began but was cut off by Snow calling her name behind her. Emma was smiling but it was quickly wiped from her face when she turned towards her guest.

"Emma?" Snow questioned as she slowly stepped back into the kitchen. Emma's eyes zeroed in on the paper towel Snow had balled into her hand. No doubt that the pregnancy tests were wrapped into them.

"Hook, I'll see you at the station. I love you." Emma quickly spoke and only waited a second for him to say it back. Hanging up the phone, they stood in silence. Snow was trying to gauge Emma’s reaction to see if she was happy about this but couldn’t get a read on her.

Snow's mouth hung open for a few seconds before she spoke. 

"I was looking for the bathroom and you left those on the counter." Snow explained herself and stepped closer. "Emma are you, are you pregnant?"

"Mom," Emma warned in a tone that meant she really didn't want to discuss the topic.

"No, Emma, this could be great." Snow enthused. "David and I were always wondering when you and Hook would have kids. It has been a while since you’ve gotten married and we have always wanted grandchildren. This is great. A true love baby no doubt.”

Emma gasped and reached blindly for the counter to hold her up.  Snow's words affected her more than she liked. She wanted to hurl as it all came rushing to her full force. She didn’t want to mention the fact that she and Hook had never shared a true love kiss. She’d never thought about it before. In the grand scheme of things that didn’t mean anything to her. He was her husband and she loved him.

"Oh." Snow deflated in realization of what she said. “Are you not happy about this?”

"Please stop." Emma grit her teeth as tears threatened to fall. She couldn’t understand her reaction. “I don’t really—I don’t know.”

She could feel a panic attack creeping up on her. Snow was quickly at her side helping her sit down to breathe. She at least had the decency to look guilty. She lowered her eyes and then raised them again as Emma continued to speak. Pregnancy scared her more than she was willing to admit. The tightness in her chest wouldn’t let up as she took a few minutes to gather her thoughts.

“Emma, I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was such a sore subject.” Snow rubbed her back soothingly. “Is Hook not happy? Are you not happy about the baby?”

“No, it’s just…” Emma didn’t know how to answer. Didn’t know what she could say to make herself feel better. “I haven’t told Hook yet. I only took the tests before you came. I don’t know if these could be a false positive or stress or something.”

She was having a baby with her husband. She should be happy but instead, she only had doubts.

"But wouldn't you like to know?" Snow said. "Wouldn’t you like to know if you and Killian are going to raise a child together?”

"I can’t look.” Emma took comfort in her mother’s touch. It soothed her like no other and she found herself calming. She felt like a scared little girl with her mother comforting her. Snow was indeed perplexed by Emma’s reaction but didn’t want to question it. Emma’s feelings were her own and she wanted to be supportive.

Snow remained silent as she watched Emma fight with herself. She could see the struggle Emma was having.

"You look for me." Emma let out in a tiny, frightened whimper. Snow forgot for a second that her daughter was a grown woman.

Snow gently took the tests from the counter and looked down at them. She remembered the instructions from the box and she let out a tiny gasp as her eyes surveyed each test. All three were the same results.

"I knew it." Emma was defeated. "I mean, how could I miss something that was never even there?"

Emma deemed herself foolish of her conflicting feelings. One second she was terrified and the next she was hopeful. She would just throw the tests away and pretend nothing ever happened. It would be better that way.

"Emma, you're pregnant." Snow began slowly. "All of the tests say positive."

Emma froze in her spot. Hearing those words did something to her. She raised her hand to rest just below her belly button.

"I'm not lying, see?" Snow could sense Emma's hesitance. She pushed the tests into her hands and stepped back to settle on her heels. She didn't want to smile in case this wasn't good news.

Emma's eyes fluttered over every test as her hand twitched against her belly. It was becoming a habit she didn't know was forming but Snow could see it. It made her grin to think that Emma could finally be happy.

"I'm really pregnant," Emma whispered in disbelief. Tears spilled from her eyes as she clutched the tests tightly.

"You would have to schedule an appointment with your doctor to confirm." Snow informed her. "But I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, Mom." Emma didn’t like that she was becoming so vulnerable these days.

"Really Emma, you're going to need a lot of help." Snow went on. "I just want to say I'll be there and I'm pretty sure Henry will be ecstatic. David too. Hook is going to be so happy. We’re your family and you have lots of help. I’m pretty sure Regina’s going to help too.”

Emma's happiness quickly simmered down when she thought of telling Regina. She would cross that bridge when she got to it.

"How about we set up an appointment?" Emma tried to divert her thoughts away from this. She decided not to get her hopes up too soon when there was a possibility these tests showed a false positive.

"Great." Snow grabbed the phone from the charger and handed it to Emma.

They could settle things in only a few days. Emma's nerves almost got the best of her. She managed to make an appointment. She would only have to wait two days to know if she was truly pregnant or not.

"How about those muffins?" Snow asked as she hung up. Snow stepped over to the counter and took two out before setting them on a plate. Any other day Emma would skip breakfast and just eat a bear claw but not today. Snow wouldn’t let her. She acknowledged that she quite liked Snow's company when she wasn’t trying to be super mom or best friend. She was just being Snow and Emma loved that. 

When Emma finally made it into work she was feeling so much better. Hook was out on patrol so she hadn’t had to deal with him for quite a while. Her day went by slowly but without a hitch. Snow had promised to keep her secret until she gave Hook the news.

Emma figured that she wouldn’t tell him until she was sure there was a baby in there. She spent most of her morning finishing up paperwork until Hook came to grab her for lunch. Granny’s was their usual way to get out of the office when there was a slow day.

She wasn’t anticipating seeing Regina sitting at the counter but she knew she couldn’t ignore her. Not this time.

“Why don’t you get us a booth while I go and talk to Regina,” Emma suggested. Killian was aware of their recent animosity but he wasn’t sure what to make of it. She and Regina were always close and he didn’t like it at all. Today was a good day and he didn’t want to ruin it so he simply agreed.

“Okay love, don’t take too long.” He kissed her cheek and moved to find a booth to the side.

Emma took a deep breath and approached Regina with as much courage as she could. Henry was no longer a buffer for much of their meetings. She could still use him as an excuse for a conversation starter.

“Hey, Regina.” Emma sat on the stool next to her. Regina simply looked up at her before looking back to her meal.

  
“Miss Swan, nice to see you here,” Regina said.

“Oh wow, Regina it’s back to Miss Swan?” Emma frowned at Regina’s shrug. “How’ve you been?”

“Besides the fact that my best friend had been avoiding me I’ve been well.” Regina finally looked up to Emma. She felt a different energy from the woman that she could almost mistake as magic. But she knew what Emma’s magic felt like and this was different. It felt familiar and she couldn’t put her finger on it. She tried to ignore the pull and attraction she felt to this new form of magic. It was probably nothing.

“I’m sorry about that,” Emma said. “I know with everything that’s happened I don’t have the right to snub you. It’s just that Killian and I are finally in a place where everything is okay and I don’t want to mess this up.”

“Emma,” Regina began. Cheating on her husband was beyond messing things up but she wasn’t one to lecture. She’d made peace with Emma’s decision not to tell him. She didn’t know how she could continue to live with that but she didn’t have a choice. She wasn’t going to take away another happy ending, especially not Emma’s. Even if she didn’t believe that it was her happy ending.

“This weekend, let’s have dinner.” Emma began. “Just you and I. I know that it’s been tense between us but I want us to continue making progress. I miss my best friend.”

“I can admit that I too miss your annoying presence.” Regina considered Emma’s proposal. “I’ll cook. I won’t have any mishaps going on in my kitchen. Is the pirate okay with this idea?”

“Considering I just thought of it, no, but this will give him an excuse to go out with his old crew.” Emma shrugged. “I miss you, Regina.” This time it was softer, it felt more genuine. She wanted Regina to know that she truly meant what she was saying.

“I miss you too,” Regina confessed. They both knew the weight that those words carried. They had always been Emma and Regina. No matter what had come in their way they had found how to make it work. This time was different and it showed. Sleeping together had been inevitable. Though Emma would have preferred it been another time. Way before she married Hook or fell in love with him. She had mixed feelings about the entire situation and she wanted to make sure that they were clear on everything. 

“I’ll see you then.” Emma glanced back to where Hook was waiting with her food. He’d ordered for her like always. 

Regina looked over to where Hook was waiting and back to Emma. She gave a curt nod and turned back to her food. She didn’t want Emma to see how much it hurt at the fact that she was choosing Hook. She was always going to choose Hook and there was nothing she could do about it.

Something had to change.

                                                                               ***

As Emma lay awake later that night she tried to make sense of what was going on. She tried to count back her conception date to pinpoint when exactly she’d gotten pregnant. The numbers just didn’t add up to where she wanted them to. The moon shone through her window across her face. She turned away to face Killian and groaned at his light snoring.

The doctor would be able to confirm her suspicions and give a due date but she didn’t want to be right. She silently prayed that the nagging in the back of her mind turned out to be wrong. She didn’t think she could live with herself if she wasn’t.

Emma slipped into a fitful sleep still hoping that everything turned out the way it should. If only life worked the way we wanted.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Emma had lost count of how many times she’d checked her phone in the last fifteen minutes. Her left leg bounced, her hands ran through her hair constantly, and she bit her lip hard as she waited for her name to be called. Waiting and being patient weren’t personality traits of hers and everyone knew it. She played an old game of angry birds on her iPhone and only glanced up to make sure there were no familiar faces stepping into the waiting room. There were plenty of other mothers in all stages of pregnancy sitting around looking very uncomfortable. The practicing OBGYN was late and everyone was suffering because of it.

Though Storybrooke General wasn’t her ideal place to do this it was the quickest. Despite her doctor being late, Emma thanked the heavens that she wouldn’t be seeing Dr. Whale today. She didn’t know if she could handle seeing that man frequently for the next 8 or so months. With the town having taken on more practical approaches and hiring more experienced doctors from the Enchanted Forest there were way many more professional options than Whale.

If she knew any better she could say that it was way more organized. Everything had been since the final battle. It had been a while since she had to fight and she found herself missing it. It was weird to admit but she probably would never say it out loud. When she was the Savior, she had a purpose. Fight evil, save everyone, and keep the town safe. Being the Sheriff entailed some of those options but none of it was as exhilarating as fighting alongside Regina.

She found her best friend was on her mind a lot these days. Though they were estranged it didn’t mean that they were no longer friends. At least, to Emma. She still loved Regina dearly and considered her to be her best friend. Some silly mistake they’d made in another state shouldn’t ruin that. It was why she invited her to dinner. A peace offering and a way to talk about what happened. They were avoiding the topic and each other but that couldn’t happen any longer. Emma needed to make things clear between them. She was a married woman. Married and happily so. That last part didn’t sound so convincing.

“Swan?” Emma stood quickly at the mention of her name. She was saved from her own thoughts before they took a left turn. It was a thought that she’d been having a lot and she didn’t want to know why.

As she walked to the front of the waiting room many of the women watched her in jealousy. The wait time had been killing them.

“Hi, I’m Lisa, and I’m just going to ask you a few questions.” As Emma followed her to a room down the hall, she thought about how long it had been since she had taken a similar walk. Of course, the jail hospital, hadn’t been as clean but it did its job. She was left alone to change into her hospital gown. It was always an uncomfortable feeling having her backside on display. Though there was no one in the room it was still embarrassing. She sat on the noisy tissue paper and waited with her legs crossed. The doctor would be in shortly to perform the sonogram.

After her weight and height were taken, she watched as her nurse, Lisa, asked her all types of questions.

“When was your last period?” Emma answered this question as accurately as she could. There were no bells going off in her head on if she was wrong.

“Is this your first child? Any experiences with miscarriage?” Emma answered no to both questions and sat comfortably this time. She would rather be anywhere but there but she knew it was needed.

The doctor finally reached her room and introduced herself.

“Hello, Emma, I’m Doctor Kyle.” The woman only seemed to be a few years older than herself. “I’m just going to run a few tests. Can you tell me your symptoms?”

“We’ll I’ve missed a few periods so that was number one.” Emma began. She took a deep breath and then proceeded to try again. “Tender breasts and a whole lot of fatigue. It’s ridiculous.”

“Any nausea?” Doctor Kyle checked Emma’s vitals. She had been through this routine many times.

“Yes, oh god yes.” Emma groaned. She was not fazed by the poking and prodding that the older woman performed. She continued talking and only flinched just a little at the cold stethoscope against her skin. “It actually seems worse this time around. It’s all day constantly. I’m surprised my husband hasn’t questioned it yet.”

“Are you waiting to tell him?” Doctor Kyle helped Emma to lay back as she began to perform a pelvic exam.

“Yeah, I want to surprise him.” That wasn’t entirely true. Emma would be surprising more than herself. She found herself zoning out during much of what was left of the appointment. She answered each question robotically as she waited to hear the words she wanted to hear.

“You’re definitely pregnant, Emma.”Doctor Kyle turned the monitor so that she could see the tiny dot on the screen. Emma felt a wave of emotion wash over her as she saw her baby for the first time. She had been waiting for this moment for days but couldn’t describe what she was feeling right this second. She felt nothing but love for her tiny dot. “You’re about 9 weeks along. Which makes a conception date of about June 3rd?  Expect the little guy to arrive around February 24th. I’ll be able to determine more for your next visit. Would you like to hear a heartbeat?”

Emma was pulled from her thoughts at the idea of hearing a heartbeat. She felt it would be too intimate for her first visit and something she should share with Killian. “Actually, can I wait a little longer for that?  I’d like a few pictures. My husband would hate it if he weren’t here.”

Doctor Kyle nodded and left Emma to get dressed again. She noticed a slight hesitation with the woman but it was not her place to comment.

As Emma dressed again, every ill feeling she felt about this pregnancy was out of this window. This baby would be wanted. No matter what. Sure, she and Killian hadn’t planned on having children but that didn’t make her less of a miracle. Emma shook her head as she was already imagining the baby to be a girl. It was probably still too early for that. As she sat once again on the hospital bed, Emma couldn’t help but think back to her fake memories of a baby Henry. She wondered if her new child would look anything like their older brother. She could picture a little one running around their home right now. The pitter patter of feet slapping against their hardwood floors.

She felt nervous again as she thought of having to tell people. Having to tell two of the most important people in her life wasn’t going to be easy. She desperately wanted to tell Henry but knew that would have to wait even longer. She hoped he would be happy about it.

Once she was handed the two copies of her ultrasound pictures she made a second appointment where she promised herself to bring Killian. She was pregnant. Emma Swan was going to have a baby.

                                                                                ***

As Emma pulled into the driveway of her home, she thought of ways to tell her family. Maybe she could bring them all together and give them a present with t-shirts announcing the new baby on them. No, that was too cheesy, even for her fairytale family. Maybe she could send them a baby registry and be nonchalant about it. That was always an option. Somehow, she knew her family would not let a new baby slide like that. Especially not coming from Emma.

She just needed a few days. In a few days, she would tell Killian, and then maybe even Regina. For now, she wanted to savor the few moments she had with her baby for herself.

Though she didn’t have much time for herself. Two days later, after puking her brains and breakfast out, Emma was no longer able to keep little dot a secret. It was the millionth time that week she had awoken to vomit and Hook was getting suspicious. He kept his curiosity to himself until Emma was leaving for her dinner with Regina.

“Hey Love, you sure you don’t want to give Regina a raincheck? I’m sure she would understand.”He rubbed her back. Pulling her hair behind her head he tried to be as supportive as he could. “You can schedule dinner for another time.”

“No, I’m fine.” Emma shrugged him off. She really didn’t want anyone or anything touching her. Not when she felt so disgusting. “It’s just probably something I ate. It will pass soon. Not anything to keep cancelling on her.” She leaned against the sink to prepare herself to brush her teeth. At this point of life, she could keep an extra toothbrush in her back pocket.

“Aye, but you’ve been hurling quite a bit, haven’t you?” He tilted his head. “I may have lived most of my life on a ship but I know you Emma. Somethin’s wrong.”

“Right.” Emma took a deep breath. She slipped her phone into her back pocket and tried to push down her annoyance too. She couldn’t understand why she was annoyed but she didn’t feel like talking about it with him.

“You could stay home and spend a little more time with me.” He suggested.

So that’s what he really wanted. It was always the same thing whenever she wanted to do anything alone. It never failed for him to try and convince her to stay home with him. It had never bothered her before but right now it couldn’t irk her anymore.

“I want to see my friend.” Emma simply said. She wasn’t in the mood to argue with him. It had been weeks since their last argument and that was around the same time she and Regina would have weekly hangouts. “I’ll see you later, I love you.” She kissed his cheek but upon pulling away, he grabbed her arm.

“Swan?” He considered her eyes and silently begged for the truth.

“I-I,” Emma stuttered as she knew she could no longer lie. There were already too many secrets in their marriage and she didn’t want to keep this from him. “I’m pregnant.”

Hook released her arm in shock and gave her a once over. She didn’t look pregnant. Which meant she’d just found out. It all made sense now.

“Now I’m sorry, we can talk later but I’m really late.” Emma gave his cheek a final kiss and quickly left the room. She wasn’t ready to have this conversation and she knew she was running. Falling on old habits was easy for her.

                                                                                                ***

Arriving at Regina’s felt good. She felt at home and she almost walked straight through the front door but didn’t upon remembering that they weren’t very close. They hadn’t been since before the road trip. She raised her right hand to knock but was stopped when the door opened.

“Hey, Emma, I felt you.” Regina gave a small smile. It wasn’t new for either of them to feel the other coming through magic. She’d taught Emma how to do it long ago and they’d been teasing each other about it ever since. Regina didn’t mention that she’d felt an extra presence of magic. It was the same essence that she’d felt for the first time at Granny’s. She couldn’t quite tell what it was but she had her own ideas. “Come in.”

At Regina’s warm welcome, Emma felt as if a weight had been lifted. She knew they would never be back to what they were but they could try.

“I cooked your favorite.” Regina lead Emma into the kitchen. She pulled her appropriately timed and finished lasagna out of the oven and set it along the counter. “It’s kind of a lot so you can take home leftovers if you’d like.”

“Fine with me.” Emma sniffed and thanked the heavens that Little Dot would be allowing her to eat. She hoped morning sickness didn’t creep up on her. Since finding out about her pregnancy she’d only been able to eat toast and saltines. She stood awkwardly against the counter and watched as Regina worked around the room. “You’re making brownies too? A woman after my own heart.” Emma swooned as she watched Regina push the pan back into the oven.

“I know how much you like them and I haven’t cooked for anyone in a while.” Regina wiped her hands against a nearby napkin. She signaled for Emma to grab plates as they walked into the dining room.

“So, how’s life here without Henry?” Emma waited as Regina served them both with a hefty slice of lasagna. She began to pour wine in Emma’s cup but was stopped. “Sorry, I’m not drinking. I have night watch and I’m becoming a bit of a lightweight these days.”

“It’s been fair. I miss him dearly.”

Regina raised a questioning brow at Emma’s decline but otherwise said nothing. She sipped from her own wine glass and simply watched Emma. Taking a deep breath, she decided to dive right into what she wanted to say. “You’ve been avoiding me. I suppose the cause of it is our night back in Philadelphia?”

Emma almost choked on the piece of lasagna she’d stuffed in her mouth. The taste of real food was heavenly against her tongue. She already wanted seconds.

“No, hey Emma, how have you been?” Emma chuckled nervously. She knew this is what she was here for. They needed to have this conversation whether she liked it or not. Regina’s face remained still as she waited for Emma to answer. “To be honest, yes. I know that I’ve been avoiding you and I’m truly sorry for that. I’ve been dealing with a lot and I know that’s no excuse but it’s what I do best.”

“Not for a while.” Regina said definitively. “You stopped running the moment you knew that Storybrooke was home. You also have never lied to me. Emma, that night, and what we shared, I don’t regret it at all. I would like to know what your thoughts are. Clearly, you’ve been showing me all along. Am I right?”

“Wait,” Emma had to collect her thoughts. Whatever she was going to say next had to be the right thing. “What happened that night can’t happen again.” She began. Based on the look donning Regina’s face she knew this wasn’t the right thing to say. She had to set boundaries and she had to do them now. “I’m not a cheater Regina.”

“Those values you are holding to are thrown out of the window.”  Regina said. “We slept together. We had sex. There’s no beating around the bush. Whether you’re proud of it or not we both made a choice.”

“Well, it wasn’t an easy one.” Emma muttered but was probably a little too loud for her own good.

“Are you saying I seduced you? “Regina frowned. “If I remember correctly, it was you that pinned me against the bed. It was you who kissed me. It was also you that pulled my panties down using your- “

“Okay, I get it.” Emma held up a hand. Replays were not needed. She remembered that night all too well. She shook her head and decided to change course. “Regina, I’m married. I can’t say if I regret that night. I do not have a choice to. I’m married to Killian and I made vows to him. I’m happy with him.”

Regina didn’t know who she was trying to convince more, Regina or herself, but she wasn’t buying it. She took a long look at Emma before opening her mouth.

“You do not simply get into bed with someone because you’re happy, Em-ma. You also do not avoid your best friend because of what happened. We are friends and we must own up to our responsibilities. I refuse to be some one-night stand because it was convenient. It was also you that invited me to this dinner. You should make up your mind and now. Have you even told your husband you’re so happy with?”

“Are you asking me to choose?” Emma ignored the last question. The fluttering in her stomach overrode the irritation she felt brewing and reminded her to stay calm. This conversation was becoming heated quickly. As did all other things when it came to she and Regina.

“Stop putting words into my mouth.” Regina rolled her eyes. “I would have been just fine to leave whatever this was in the past. But I can’t because I know for a fact that it meant something more than what you’re letting on. Why are you being so stubborn?”

“Because I won’t acknowledge a mistake I made months ago.” Emma didn’t know why she felt so strongly about denying this. This dinner was not going how she envisioned in her head. “Regina, okay, we had sex. We fucked. We had sex in a cheap hotel bed because we were stuck in a room together. Are you happy?” Her nostrils flared.

“There it is.” Regina grinned despite the tears stinging her eyes. Emma thought she made a mistake. That’s all she needed to know. “That spine you’ve somehow let Hook take away from you has come back. At least I know how you feel.”

“Hook has nothing to do with it. Don’t bring him up.” Emma pushed her seat away. They were being irrational but both were too stubborn to approach the situation differently.

“He doesn’t know.” Regina came to the realization. At the quirk in Emma’s chin she knew all she needed to.

“I haven’t told him, no.”

“Well don’t you think he deserves to know?”

“That’s none of your business.” Emma folded her arms.

“It’s why he hasn’t come here trying to tear down my door.” Regina smugly sipped from her wine glass. “You haven’t told him. Do tell Emma, why are you keeping this a secret? If it meant nothing? If us sleeping together meant nothing. Tell your husband you’re so happily married to.  I’m sure being satisfied to exhaustion doesn’t happen every day for you, does it? But then again your marriage was always built on lies and passive aggressiveness.”

“Regina,” Emma growled. “I came here to talk to you. To get my best friend back. Not to argue you with.” The older woman had hit a nerve and she knew it.

“Emma, you called it a mistake.” Regina felt a surge of magic shock her into silence. It hadn’t hurt but merely surprised her. By the look on Emma’s face the same had happened to her. Neither of them knew what it was but looked to the other for answers. With a sigh, Regina set her glass on the table and looked around. She’d let her temper and hurt get the best of her. She didn’t want to continue fighting with Emma.

Emma on the other hand had felt the shock to a deeper magnitude and sat again to find her bearings. Wiping her face, Emma leaned back against the chair. “Regina, I don’t know what the right thing is to say in this situation. I cannot explore what it all means. It is way too late. We had a night of something. God, it meant something but I can’t tell you what. I’m married to Hook. He loves me and he doesn’t deserve what I did. He’s a good man and I know you don’t believe that but I do.”

She looked to see the unshed tears in her best friend’s eyes. “I don’t want to lose your friendship. I don’t want to lose what we have. I’m sorry if I can’t give you more but friendship is all I have to offer.”

Regina nodded and wiped away her falling tears. “Emma, I-I.”  Being angry was what she did best. Being vulnerable was not a strength of hers and they both knew it. “I only want the best for you. I realize that right now it is more than too late. I do not wish to destroy your happiness. I had my soulmate and I lost him. I had Daniel and I lost him. It would devastate me if I ever lost you. So, just like I’ve done in the past, I will smile and pretend it that is what you want. I cannot ask for you to leave your husband. I won’t ask you to do that. But calling this a mistake, it hurts. I do know that is what it was and I do not regret it. I only regret the position I put you in.”

Regina was putting her own feelings aside for Emma, for someone she felt so strongly for. She would not ruin what Emma had. All she could do was step aside.

“Can we remain friends?” Emma asked hopefully. She prayed that Regina said yes.

“I don’t know, Emma.” Regina sighed. Could they really go back to the way things were before? Emma seemed to be fine with the idea. “I just I need to think on it.” Emma gave a small nod but made no move to leave. She didn’t want to leave things like this.

 “Now, if you’re okay in here, I have brownies to take out of the oven.”

Regina excused herself and walked into the kitchen with the calmness of someone who had been hurt before. She knew how to put on a mask and refused to break down. Not here and not right now. She pulled the brownies of out the oven and cut a few pieces. She spent the time alone stuffing some into Tupperware and diving them to give to Emma. Her appetite was suddenly nonexistent.

In the next room, Emma was feeling the same way. She could fight her feelings and continue to live in her lie. She could confess to Hook and hope he forgave her. She’d just announced her pregnancy to him not even three hours ago and he was probably home excited. It would crush him to know what she had done. She was almost glad that the paternity of their baby couldn’t be questioned. She didn’t know what kind of woman she’d be if that was the case.

Regina wiped her tears and put on a fake smile to step back into the dining room. “Here are the leftovers that I’m sure you’ll be happy about tomorrow. No more Granny’s for lunch.”

Emma happily took the Tupperware and held it to her. “I should…probably get going.” Regina said nothing as she followed Emma to the front door. Before she could react, Emma pulled her into a hug that she couldn’t get out of. It felt good in her arms, she felt safe, she felt at home. She would never admit that to Emma after how things had gone but she could still say it to herself.

She did feel that magical pull that made her frown. There were still many aspects of magic that she didn’t know but right now she needed to find out. She wouldn’t mention it to Emma just yet. Not until she found out what the cause of it was. While her own magic was darker in nature, Emma’s magic was light and floaty. Sometimes accompanied by the scent of vanilla which Regina could mistake for Emma’s shampoo.

“I’ll see you?” Emma asked hopefully, her green eyes sparkling with nothing but love for Regina.

Regina gave a curt nod in return and held the door open for her. She probably deserved Regina’s silence after their little shouting match. After this night, Emma promised she would make things right. She would show Regina that they could be good friends. If it was space Regina needed, she could give her that. It would hurt but she knew Regina deserved more than the hand she was dealt.

When Regina closed the door, she held her hands against it to steady her shaking legs. Dinner had turned out worse than she’d expected. She didn’t want to fight with Emma but all of her pent up anger and frustration needed to be let go.  Once again, she was losing what could have been something great. Her feelings for Emma weren’t new. She’d been suppressing them for as long as she could remember. She didn’t even know when it was that she fell in love with Emma. It could have been that day six years ago at the mines. It could have been their very first meeting when Emma sheepishly said hi. All of that didn’t matter now. Emma was taken. Even when Regina finally realized that her feelings were more than platonic she was too late. Emma was not hers to claim. She was Hook’s and even though it pained her to watch what could have been pass by, she had no choice. Regina left the dishes on the dining room table, she wasn’t in the mood to clean, she wanted to wallow in self pity for a little longer. She grabbed the wine bottle from the table and turned to go upstairs to her room where she could drown her sorrows.

The night with Emma during Henry’s graduation trip had been the best of her life. But it was a mistake. A mistake that clearly meant nothing to Emma. To Regina though, it meant more than she could ever know. More than she was willing to admit to anyone.

                                                                                                 ***

Once Emma arrived home, she was half expecting for Hook to be passed out on the couch after drinking a cold beer and half expecting him to have left home, but she was wrong on both. She let out a silent cheer as she noticed he wasn’t on the first floor. She was hoping to have a bit of time to herself to let everything from tonight sink in. She and Regina always fought. It was what they did. They both were too stubborn to admit how they were feeling or if the other was right. Which always resulted in them coming to blows and then apologizing after. It was their dynamic. This time, Emma had a sinking feeling that this wouldn’t be the case.

As Emma approached her bedroom, she heard children’s music playing and knew that she wasn’t alone.

“Hey, Swan, I’ve been waiting for you.” Hook grinned happily as he turned her laptop towards her. She remembered when Henry had taught him how to use it. How confused he had been learning about the internet and social media. Now here he was searching up, baby websites, Emma squinted and realized that she really should start wearing her glasses.

“Nice, you seem really happy about this.” Emma shrugged her jacket off. She tossed it aside and sat beside him on the bed. If she was going to have this baby, if they were going to take care of it together, she had to be in it; All or nothing.

They spent the rest of the night scrolling through baby websites and getting used to the idea of having a baby. Emma ignored the guilt of her argument with Regina from earlier and spent time with her husband.

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

When Regina called saying she received a message from Henry calling for help, Emma couldn’t move fast enough. She was immediately in fight mode and ready to kick ass. With a new fire under her butt, it took Emma less than ten minutes to drive to Regina’s. They needed to know just who and what they were dealing with. She knew that things between them were awkward. They probably would be for a while, but if there was anything that would bring them together it was their son.

The only thing stopping her was a reminder from Hook about the baby. He’d whispered it and Emma rolled her eyes much to Regina’s suspicions. She didn’t address it and informed them that she would be leaving without the bickering couple if they didn’t figure something out. In the end, Emma stayed home while Hook had tagged along. “For protection.” He said with confidence as he held onto Regina’s hand while they jumped through the portal. The look of annoyance donning Regina’s face didn’t help with Emma’s worrying at all.

She hoped that this “Lady Tremaine” woman was going to get magically bitch slapped into next Tuesday messing with their son. It had been years since they fought or had any action. Storybrooke was lifeless and dull most days so the idea of a change in routine was exhilarating.

So, Emma waited patiently to hear word back from them both. In the meantime, she was snacking on almonds and catching up on the last few episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. She was really getting into the episode and feeling emotional when she heard the front door unlock. Not expecting anyone to be back so soon, Emma raced to the door only to find that it was Mary Margaret.

“Oh, Hi, mom.” Emma tried to hide her disappointment. Getting her mom an extra key wasn’t turning out how she was expecting. “and hi Neal.”

“Hi Emma, can I watch your tv?” The tiny blonde asked. His blue eyes were just like their dad’s and Emma found herself falling for his puppy dog eyes.

“Go right ahead.”

Neal toddled to the living room where he plopped on the couch. Emma laughed at his clumsiness before turning back to her mother.

“How are you feeling?” Mary Margaret asked. She followed Emma into the kitchen. Emma’s silence was answer enough. She knew when Emma wanted to avoid a topic. Though she hadn’t raised her, Mary Margaret was good at reading her daughter. Changing their course of discussion was a better way to get Emma to open up. “Never mind that. Have you heard anything back from Hook or Regina?”

“I haven’t.” Emma began to prepare herself toaster pastries. Hook was always scolding her about eating them but he wasn’t here to be down her back about them. Her sudden cravings for the sweet breakfast item wouldn’t go away. It was her second one today! She popped them into the toaster excitedly and flicked it on. “I’m just a sitting duck for the time being.”

“Well, whatever is happening I’m sure they’re doing their best to help Henry.” Mary Margaret asked. “I know it’s a bummer that you couldn’t go.”

“Yeah, I was really itching to.” Emma sighed. “But with my whole ‘condition’ I have to be extra careful. Hook’s words, not mine.” Emma rolled her eyes.

“So, you’ve told him about the baby,” Mary Margaret began to ramble. “We can finally tell everyone. Oh, we have to build a nursery and go maternity clothes shopping, oh, and a gender reveal party would be very beautiful. You know since that’s what everyone does these days now. Why not join in on the fun?”

Emma bit into her pastry and moaned at how good it was. The taste never got old. It took her a few minutes to register what her mother was saying. “Mom, no, definitely not. Everyone doesn’t know. I think we’re going to keep it a secret for a little while longer.”  
“That’s fine I can keep a secret.” Mary Margaret motioned zipping her lips and throwing away the key. “You’re at least going to tell Henry?”

“Of course, I just don’t know when I’ll see him next.” Emma wiped her mouth free of the leftover pastry crumbs. Now full and satisfied all she wanted to do was sleep. She didn’t want to think about the fact that she wasn’t helping her son with his problems. She was pregnant. Fighting and killing bad guys is what she did every day. She was a cop for goodness’ sake.

“Maybe you could pop up and surprise him?” Mary Margaret suggested. “I think he misses you immensely and is probably questioning why his other mother isn’t there.”

Emma nodded in agreement. The thought wasn’t lost on her. She wanted to help, she wanted to see her son, and she was going to do it. Emma’s mind was made up and Hook be damned. She wasn’t going to put herself in harm’s way, but she also wasn’t going to sit and let life pass her by. If that was how the rest of her pregnancy was going to go, then Hook had another thing coming. She had been pregnant in prison and despite everything Henry turned out to be a lovely and intelligent child. She wasn’t trying to find idiotic reasons to justify her future actions. Not at all. She was only trying to convince herself that she should be braver and go do what she wants.

For the past three years, Emma had been compromising and allowing Hook to make the decisions for her. Today wouldn’t be one of those days.

“How long does it take me to make a portal?” Emma thought aloud as she began to rush around the house and find the things she needed.  
***

Upon seeing Emma walk through that portal, Hook had been pissed. She could see the surprise on his face along with something she only knew as anger. He wasn’t going to show his temper here. Not in front of her son and quite frankly she didn’t care. So she put on a smile and approached her son.

She was excited to see that Henry was asking about her. His fierce protectiveness shown through when he asked about her whereabouts.

“Tell me Mom’s okay.” Emma’s heart fluttered at just how deep his voice was. Finally hearing it in person made her realize that her sweet son was now a kind man.

“Last I checked, I am.” Emma made her presence known. Seeing Henry’s face light up made her heart soar. He was so handsome and tall and just, everything she had imagined and more. He rushed to hug her, pulling her into a tight embrace that neither of them wanted to let go of.

“I know, I know, it’s been a while,” Henry whispered to her. As much as she missed him, he missed her ten times more.

“I’ve missed you, kid.” Emma laughed as they pulled away to get a good look at each other. She ran a hand through his hair and thanked God he hadn’t gone through the long hair phase. His face was just the same only more mature and chiseled. She couldn’t believe how grown up he was. Even the way he carried himself was different. She guessed that’s what 3 years did to you. Or was it more since Henry was so much older than when he left? She wasn’t so sure about other realms and things like that.

“Me too, I thought something was wrong.” Henry gave her a once over. She didn’t look any different.

Before he had time to jump to conclusions, Emma reassured him. “No, it’s-it’s nothing like that at all. I’m fine. It’s just… Killian wanted me to rest and I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to make sure you both were okay and I just, I wanted to tell you myself.” Emma knew she was talking incredibly fast but didn’t know how to stop herself. She didn’t plan on sharing the news with Henry but he was her son and eventually, he would become suspicious.

“Tell me what?” Henry asked. He could see the nervousness in Emma’s demeanor and he wanted to know now. She smiled which changed his worry into curiosity.  
Emma took a breath. “I’m pregnant.” There was a long pause to gauge his reaction. Henry’s shock turned to happiness.

She stepped over to Killian to embrace him. He didn’t seem so happy about her sharing the news but they could discuss that later.

“You’re gonna be great!” Henry laughed in excitement. He couldn’t put into words how excited he was.

“I hope so kid, I mean, neither of us has done the whole diapers and feedings thing,” Emma said. “It’s just what I missed with you.” She confessed her insecurities for the first time. Bringing a new baby into the world was just as terrifying the second time around.

“Mom, you did okay with me.” Henry stepped a little closer to comfort her. He didn’t understand why Hook hadn’t spoken since Emma had arrived. It was a little weird to him. If Emma wasn’t going to address it neither would he.

“I know, I know, it’s just, it took a long time to find each other,” Emma gestured. “and find ourselves and… you know, we both, we made mistakes and learned from them. We both can do something good from the start.” She smiled nervously. She believed that they could raise this baby to be just as good as Henry. Of course, Henry had been raised by Regina for most of his life, but she liked to think that she had something to do with it too.

“I’ve always tried to,” Killian muttered.

“Killian?” Emma looked over at him.

“I’ve done something and I have to fix it.” He muttered again before walking away.

“Killian?” Emma called out questioningly. She didn’t understand why he had to step away this very moment. Something wasn’t right and she knew it.

“Well, that was weird.” Henry stepped beside her so that they could walk to his camp. Regina was there waiting while she came up with a plan. He expected that she would be excited to see Emma.

“I agree.” Emma gave a final glance to Hook’s retreating back. She didn’t know what his deal was but she wouldn’t let him ruin her reunion with her son. It rattled her and before she knew it, she was pulling away from Henry. “No, wait, I’m going to go after him. You understand?”

“Yes, of course, he knows where the camp is. We’ll catch up later.” Henry watched her go. He made sure that she was out of his line of sight before walking back to camp on his own.

There Regna was sitting on a log and muttering to herself. She seemed quite annoyed with whatever she was doing.

“Henry, did Hook tell you what you wanted to know?” She asked as he approached her.

“Actually, Emma did.” Henry sat beside her. “She seemed a little nervous to tell me about the pregnancy. I don’t think they were ready to tell just yet.”

“Pregnancy?” Regina lifted a brow.

“Yeah, Emma’s pretty nervous about the baby but she seems really happy.” Henry continued. “But Killian, on the other hand, seemed a little upset about something.”

Regina opened and closed her mouth a few times before shaking her head. Pregnancy? Emma was pregnant. How long had she known? How far along was she?

“Oh, you didn’t know, did you?” Henry looked over at her.

“I, no, I didn’t,” Regina said.

“I just thought with how close you two are you would have been one of the first to know,” Henry said.

Regina shook her head. She couldn’t stop herself from putting all the pieces together in her head. She was counting down how far along Emma could be since she wasn’t showing yet. Every conclusion she came to didn’t feel like the right one. She and Emma needed to talk.

“Well, just pretend you’re surprised when they tell you,” Henry suggested. This entire situation felt weird.  
Regina nodded and tucked this piece of information for later.

Later that night, while everyone else was sleeping, Regina and Emma were the only ones awake. Regina hadn’t been able to get the news from earlier off her mind. She kept glancing at Emma to see if she would talk but there was nothing. Finally, Regina stood to approach her friend.

“I believe congratulations are in order.” Regina sat next to her. Emma’s mouth dropped but she quickly recovered. She knew Henry had told her. She was going to find out sooner or later.

“Yeah,” Emma said weakly. After finding out what was wrong with Hook and helping him fix his problem, Emma was mentally exhausted. Her restlessness kept her from falling asleep like she wanted to. This day had been more overwhelming than she thought it would be. “I didn’t think now was an appropriate time to tell you.”

“How so?” Regina tilted her head. “How far along are you?”

“I’ll be ten weeks tomorrow,” Emma answered.

Regina did the mental math and a lightbulb went off in her head. Ten weeks ago, they were out of town. Henry’s graduation trip was then. They had been together then. She couldn’t believe that Emma had quickly jumped back into bed with her husband. It just didn’t seem right. The sudden anger flooded through her. It really meant nothing to Emma.  
“I don’t know if I have anything else to say to that.” Regina sighed. “I guess time waits for no one.”

“Regina, I,” Emma stopped herself. She knew what Regina was thinking. She’d done the math herself and it hadn’t added up to her. She knew Doctors and conception dates could be wrong. She had convinced herself that though she and Hook hadn’t had sex around that time, maybe just maybe her doctor was wrong. They could get a more accurate date at her second appointment. It’s what she had been telling herself all week.

“You sure didn’t waste any time in jumping in bed with Hook.” Regina couldn’t hide the hurt in her voice. She was just so sick of this entire ordeal. “Of course, you had to wash the scent of me off your skin with that of your husband’s.”

Emma quickly grabbed Regina’s arm and hauled her farther away from the camp. She wasn’t going to chance Henry or Killian hearing their conversation.

“Where would you even get an idea like that?” Emma asked.

“Emma, come on, you can do the math and so can I.” Regina pulled away. “Sleeping with Hook right after we had been together. Did you just land on top of him as soon as you got home?”

“What?” Emma folded her arms in annoyance. “Regina, No.”

There was a long pause before she spoke again. “Even if I did, he is my husband Regina.”

“You keep reminding me,” Regina muttered. “You know, I don’t see how we can continue to keep being friends when we have this huge secret that I’m not willing to keep. I can’t keep doing this to myself. Pining over you. Throwing myself out there. Being left in the dark about things in your life. That’s not what friends do. Sleeping together and…” Regina was going to say falling in love. She didn’t finish her sentence as Emma waited expectantly. She didn’t know if Emma felt the same way. She couldn’t tell if Emma felt so strongly about her. The flutter in her heart was hers alone. The way she couldn’t catch her breath every time she got a glimpse of her blonde friend. No, that was something only she experienced. If Emma’s reactions to any of this were anything to go by.

“Regina, I can’t keep saying I’m sorry for a mistake we made together.” Emma stepped a little closer. “I’m caught up in a lie that will tear my family apart. This baby just makes things more complicated. None of this is what I wanted. I am happy that Killian and I created a child together. Am I proud of the circumstances surrounding its conception? No, but Regina that is in the past. I must live with myself and somehow figure out how I’m going to tell my husband on how I made the mistake of sleeping with my best friend. You have nothing to lose. I have everything to lose.”

Regina’s jaw ticked as she tried to keep her tears at bay. Emma was truly done with her. She kept reminding her time and time again that this was a mistake. Maybe it really was.  
“Can we just stop?” Emma asked. “I’m done fighting and I’m done with whatever it is we’ve been doing. I’ll tell Hook, but it will be on my own terms, he doesn’t deserve to be so heartbroken. Especially when he has just found out he’s going to be a dad.” She stepped away to return to camp. She suddenly had a headache. She didn’t want to fight anymore. If losing Regina’s friendship was what it had to come to, then so be it.

“Is there any way,” Regina took a breath. Emma stopped mid-step to listen. “Is there any way that this baby could be mine?”

Regina clamped a hand over her mouth before releasing it to remain limp at her side. The thought had been making her sick all day. She thought she was crazy when it first came to her mind, but the more she thought about it, the more she had to know. It wasn’t the farthest idea out there. She’d heard stories about it before. Two women creating children together in the Enchanted Forest. It had been a while since she’d heard anything of a magical baby but there was always a possibility. She wouldn’t lie to herself and say that there wasn’t.  
She could no longer ignore the second essence of magic she felt so strongly when she was around Emma. It was the baby’s magic and that meant a lot. Magical babies came from those with magic. Sure, it could be taught to the right person, but this was different. This baby was strong and powerful. She could feel it. She knew that the familiar essence and feel of this magic was like Emma’s, but there was more. This magic felt a lot like her own. She couldn’t tell if she was making herself believe or if it was true.

“This baby is Killian’s.” Emma opened her eyes. At Regina’s sob, Emma walked away even faster. She hated being so heartless. This wasn’t how life was supposed to go. Being at odds with Regina again was tearing her apart. Over a stupid mistake. Sleeping together was a mistake and she would be fooling herself to say that it wasn’t. Regina wanting her wasn’t something that she imagined to be happening. In the beginning, when she had first come to Storybrooke, it had been different. Her feelings for Regina had been strong and fierce. A relationship was what she had imagined for the longest time, but she was a coward and took the safe way out. Killian was safe. He was familiar and she knew him. Falling in love with him had taken more time.

Her baby being Regina’s? She couldn’t say that the thought hadn’t crossed her mind once or twice. It was a ridiculous thought. One that would be on her mind for the rest of the night. One that would plague her for the next eight months. There was just no way that this baby was Regina’s. So why did it rattle her so much?

                                                                                                      ***

It took Regina a little longer to return to camp. After her crying session, she just needed a little time to think on her own. There was no way that she could stay in the same town and watch Emma have a family. It pained her think about living a life with Emma not in, but she was so tired. She was so tired of putting herself out there only to be ripped of her happiness. Daniel, Robin, Emma. If she ever even had Emma. Her feelings were just too strong. She had been rejected. She had been an afterthought and she knew why. Emma was married. Emma was going to have a baby. It was now time for Regina to find a story of her own.

The next morning, it was easy to tell Henry she was staying. It was easy to put on a brave face and see everyone say goodbye to each other. She had only given a simple nod to Emma before watching them walk through the portal. Their paths were now separated. She could finally focus on something else. Doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

“Mom, everything will be okay,” Henry assured her. He wasn’t ten years old anymore. He could see that there was something between his two moms. They had been oblivious to the other’s feelings for a long time, but Henry had always seen it. The flirting, the constant bickering, their friendship. Back then, when he was younger, he had been confused about the Evil Queen and The Savior possibly getting together. That’s when Hook came into the picture and he had been disappointed. He saw how Regina would bury her feelings and put on a happy face. He saw how difficult it had been when Emma was dating Hook. As he grew older he knew that his mothers deserved each other. They were perfect for each other but he knew that it would never happen. Emma was married to Hook and he could see what it had done to his other mom. It was time she found her own story. He would be more than happy to help.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma ran her hands over her new curves for what felt like the millionth time that morning. She twisted and turned to see herself from every angle in the mirror. In nothing but a sports bra and boy shorts, she could see how round her belly was becoming. At 14 weeks, her little guy or gal had grown quite a bit. It felt weird to see herself pregnant. She had imagined having another baby but had put the idea aside a long time ago. She was finding that none of her favorite skinny jeans fit. At least not how she wanted them to. Now restricted to wearing sweats and the occasional stretch jeans, she refused to give in to the idea of maternity clothes just yet. Even after Mary Margaret had offered her old ones to Emma. She was showing but not big enough for anyone not looking for her bump to notice.

Emma sat against her bed and simply rubbed her belly. It felt weird to be pregnant again. There were a lot of circumstances that made this pregnancy different than her last. She had a job, a husband, a family. A house for the baby to sleep in. Everything she had ever wanted was right in the palm of her hands. That didn’t explain why she still felt like there was a missing piece. Truth be told that the missing piece was Regina. It broke her heart to know how much she had messed up with her best friend. She was supposed to be sharing her joy with her. Emma often found herself replaying their last conversation over and over. The hurt on Regina’s face, their anger towards each other, Regina thinking that Emma’s unborn child could be hers. She couldn’t even consider that it was ever an option.

She hadn’t known it was possible until Regina mentioned it. Emma was just as surprised as she was to hear that two women having a baby together was possible. After spending hours researching this very topic at the library, Emma had found that it was indeed possible. It had rocked her to the core to read the very rare instances of two women being able to conceive in the Enchanted Forest. Her parents were fairytale characters for goodness sake. She wasn’t allowed to be surprised. Besides, there was no way she was going to get a DNA test for something so trivial. Regina had been gone for five weeks. Who knows how much time had passed in her realm. She could be moving on and in love and married. Emma felt her heart sink imagining Regina with someone else. She felt her heartbreak at the thought of Regina smiling at someone the way she had only reserved for two people; she and Henry. She tried to tuck her sadness away for a while. She couldn’t continue focusing on what could have been.

She was married to Hook. He made her happy, he made her smile, and he didn’t lie to her. Not anymore. Not like she was lying to him right now. She knew telling him now that she’d cheated and that his baby could possibly be Regina’s wasn’t something he would want to hear. His world would fall apart and Emma would be responsible for that.

Emma was pulled from her thoughts by the slight fluttering in her belly. She smiled at what was going on right under her fingertips. It was still too early for her to feel kicking but she was content with the slight fluttering every now and again.  She was never going to get over the feeling of her baby moving around inside of her. After her first initial shock she’d gotten over it and was truly happy. Being well into her second semester she could truly enjoy her pregnancy. She had finally said goodbye to morning sickness. Now her cravings were off the charts and all she wanted was a burger from Granny’s with extra pickles. Though her cravings couldn’t be considered weird just yet, she had a new love for pickles that she never had before.

With a loud sigh, Emma stood from her bed to find clothes for the day. She wasn’t working today and instead had opted to babysit for Ashley. Alexandra was just a year older than Neal but if she heard right the little girl was rambunctious and loud. Probably a huge contrast than what Emma would be expecting. Babysitting Alexandra would serve Emma great practice for their little one in the future. She wasn’t worried because Hook would be coming home to help as soon as his shift was over. Emma felt confident that this day would determine if they were truly ready to have a baby. If they were, great, and if they weren’t, well they would cross that bridge when they got to it.

                                                                                ***

“Thank you again for keeping her, Emma.” Ashley hugged her best friend before handing her Alexandra’s backpack. “She hasn’t eaten yet but I left a little money for you to buy her lunch. I must go in and have this meeting at the daycare and I didn’t have a babysitter. Which is kind of ironic since I do own the daycare.”

“No, it’s fine.” Emma laughed. “Alex and I will have plenty of fun while you’re gone. Right, Alex?”

Alexandra peered up at Emma with curious eyes. She nodded before waving bye to her mom.

“I love you, be good.” Ashley quickly left Granny’s in hopes to make it on time for her next meeting.

“So, what would you like for breakfast?” Emma asked as they found a booth right in front. Alexandra climbed in and shrugged. As Emma read the menu, as if she hadn’t read it a million times and memorized every single item, Alexandra reached for a packet of sugar. She almost succeeded in swallowing its contents before Emma stopped her.

“Whoa, whoa, how about we eat real food?” Emma moved the small cart full of sugar packets to her side of the table. “I was thinking pancakes? Or maybe lunch?”

Alexandra again shrugged. “I don’t like pancakes.” She sat in her seat dejectedly.

“What about waffles?” Again, she shook her head no.

“Bacon?” Nope.

“French toast?”

Hard pass.

Emma sat against her chair frustrated. “Okay, come on, who doesn’t like French toast?”

“Me.” Alexandra shook her head. She looked over at Emma expectantly. Almost as if they were playing a game.

“Okay, well let’s compromise.” Emma set the menu aside. “If you tell me what you like to eat, I’ll throw in a chocolate milkshake for us to share.”

Alexandra shook her head enthusiastically. “With whipped cream and a cherry on top?”

“I think that sounds delicious.” Emma grinned back at her. “So, what will it be?”

“Can I have the grilled cheese?” Alexandra asked. Emma nodded, internally congratulating herself on avoiding a crisis, kids were bound to throw tantrums about every little thing.  Emma flagged down a waitress to come over and take their order. She listened carefully as Alexandra bragged about how many dolls she had. She was very different than the humble person her mother was. Then again, she was five and kids were always bragging.

Despite her haughtiness, Alexandra was more well behaved than she expected. She said “please” and “thank you.” when receiving her meals and had more table manners than Emma did. She was technically the daughter of a prince and princess so that probably added onto her behavior.

                                                                                ***

“Emma, did you know that aardvarks don’t have teeth?” Alexandra grinned up at her as they walked down Main Street. Their lunch had gone well leaving them both with full bellies. Alexandra’s constant chattering left Emma no room to be awkward and for that she was thankful. The sugar from their shared milkshake was setting in full force.

“I didn’t know that.” Emma laughed at just how excited she was. It seemed that Alexandra had a love for animals.  She knew more about them than Emma did. “What’s your favorite?”

“Umm,” Alexandra stuck her hand on her chin to think. Emma snorted at just how much she looked like her mother. She pictured herself in a couple of years with a daughter just like Alexandra and her heart soared. “I really like horses. They’re the best. Next summer Momma’s going to let me take riding classes.”

“Oh, that’s going to be a lot of fun.” As they walked back to the nearby park, she realized that there would be a lot of pointless conversations with children in her future. She almost couldn’t keep up with the constant chattering and with Alexandra’s short attention span their conversation switched from animals to Barbie’s to puppies. She was an amusing kid and Emma hoped that their day would go just as smoothly.

Emma sat while Alexandra found new friends to play with. She didn’t think she was up to running no matter how much she missed it. Hook forbid her from running and a bunch of other activities. She rolled her eyes to think about the fact that he was forbidding her from something. It annoyed her how sometimes he acted like her father and not her husband; her equal. It angered her to think about and for now, she wouldn’t. Today would be a good day with lots of practice for the baby.

“Emma, can you swing with me?” Alexandra approached her. She fluttered her lashes and gave Emma the cutest puppy eyes.

“I don’t know,” Emma said reluctantly. “I’m really not sure if swinging is safe for me right now.”

“But why?” Alexandra asked curiously.

“Well, I’m pregnant and there’s a lot I’m not supposed to do in case it will hurt the baby,” Emma explained. She didn’t really know if there was a thing saying she wasn’t allowed to swing. Maybe she’d have to ask her doctor.  She saw a light go off in Alexandra’s eyes and suddenly there was a new-found excitement. She smiled over at Emma and glanced briefly at her stomach.

“You’re having a baby?” Alexandra giggled. “Do you know where they come from?”

Emma’s eyes widened and she wondered if she opened a can of worms for Ashley to answer later. She wasn’t aware of the protocol when it came to these things.  She didn’t have time to think as Alexandra began to tell her own version of the story of where babies came from.

“My mommy says that they grow in your tummy for a really long time, like years.” Alexandra exaggerated as she plopped onto the bench next to Emma. She bumped hips with Emma and continued to talk animatedly. “But first a mommy and daddy have to make one. They can only do that when they love each other. But did you also know, that a baby can have two mommies or two daddies? I think that’s really cool. How about you Emma?”

Emma wondered why Alexandra’s story sounded so particularly close to her real-life situation. She knew that the little girl was just speaking from what she was told. There was no way a five-year-old knew anything. Emma became lost in her thoughts and only realized Alexandra asked her another question after being tapped incessantly.

“Well, Emma, I have to use the bathroom.” Alexandra gritted her teeth. “Really badly.”

“Why didn’t you tell me five minutes ago?” Emma asked as she quickly stood. The nearest bathroom was Granny’s and they would have to run.

“I didn’t have to pee five minutes ago.” Alexandra danced in a circle as she waited for Emma to figure out what she wanted to do.

“Okay, hop on.” Emma made a split-second decision and bent down so that Alexandra could jump onto her back. She complied and they ran all the way to Granny’s. Emma ignored the aching in her back and finally let Alexandra down when they reached the bathroom. “You don’t need my help, right?”

“Nope, you can wait outside. I’m a big girl.” Alexandra closed the stall with confidence. Emma nodded her head and waited outside. She went through her phone messages and found one from Hook. He was going to be late at work which ultimately meant he would be hanging with his friends. She saw through most of his lies already and she knew what his speaking in code meant. She rolled her eyes again for the hundredth time that day and tucked her phone away. She was on her own for the rest of her time with Alexandra. It was in that moment that Alexandra stepped out.

“I washed my hands and everything see?” Alexandra held her hands up. “Want to smell?”

“No, I definitely do not want to do that.” Emma scrunched her nose. She was ready to go home and chill on the couch and relax. She had a feeling that it would be the last thing she was going to do.

                                                                                ***

Surely, children became tired sometimes. Emma was exhausted and she wasn’t expecting Ashley to be to pick up Alexandra for another hour. They had colored, did each other’s hair, and even watched an entire movie. It was called “Moana” or something of that nature. Emma wondered if the character was real or not. There was an entire movie about everyone else in this town.

“Emma, what do we do now?” Alexandra stood from her spot on the couch.

Emma desperately wanted to shrug and suggest a nap. Everything within her wanted to be able to lie down and sleep. It was her favorite past time these days. She loved that she wasn’t too big to curl up into her favorite chair and fall asleep instantly. With a sigh, she decided that they could bake cookies instead.

Emma could admit that she was having fun with Alexandra. Having a little person around the house gave her something extra to do. Keeping Alexandra busy meant she didn’t have time to think about how much of a mess her life was. She always found her thoughts constantly floating to Regina. As she helped Alexandra make heart shaped cookies, she thought about the conversation they’d had a couple of years ago. It was about raising another child together. How quickly they both agreed that they would do it again if they had to. Emma didn’t want to wonder if they would have to. Not now. Not when she had so much to lose.

So, she placed the cookies in the oven and opted for a dance party. They danced to Beyoncé, to Shakira, and even a few Disney stars that Emma had no clue about until the timer beeped in the next room. Emma raced to the kitchen and pulled out the cookies quickly. She needed to let them cool down or else they both would be sporting burns on their tongue. She was just about to return to their dance party when the doorbell rang.

“Is that my mommy?” Alexandra slid down the hallway so that she could open the door before Emma could warn her not to. “Mommy!”

Alexandra jumped into her mother’s arms without hesitation.  It made Emma’s heart soar at the idea that this could be her with her child in a couple of years. Her time with Henry had been lovely but he had grown up all too fast. Now she barely saw him and it all made her so emotional.

“Alexandra, what did I tell you about answering the door?” Ashley asked after setting her daughter back to her feet.

“I’m not supposed to because I’m little.” Alexandra pouted.

“That’s right, don’t let it happen again,” Ashley said in a stern tone. This didn’t deter Alexandra from leaning into her for a hug. Emma found it sweet. She felt like she was intruding on their mother-daughter reunion thing they had going on. Shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, she waited to be acknowledged. Ashley looked over to her with a smile that only read gratitude. “Emma, thank you so much for keeping her. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble?”

“No, she was fantastic.” Emma smiled. “We actually just finished baking cookies if you’d like some.”

“Oh, that’d be great.” Ashley and Alexandra followed Emma to the kitchen where the cookies were waiting. Emma packed a ziplock bag full of cookies for them to take home. Declaring that they had just enough time to chat, they had all sat at the table with full glasses of milk to accompany their cookies.

“Momma, did you know Emma is having a baby?” Alexandra bit into her cookie.

Emma sat wide-eyed just like a deer in headlights for a second. She really wasn’t expecting this to be a topic of discussion. Maybe Regina was right when she said kids sucked at keeping secrets.

“Oh really, how great.” Ashley smiled. “She didn’t spoil the beans, did she?”

“No, I actually just haven’t found the right time to tell anyone.” Emma shook her head. “Everyone in my family knows but I’ve been holding off on telling the town. Lord knows what kind of mischief they would get in knowing they have a pregnant sheriff.”

“Well, I’m really happy for you Emma. Killian must be so excited.” Ashley gushed. “How are you feeling?” Emma rested a hand on her stomach and smiled. This was the first time she was talking to anyone that wasn’t her mom. It felt good to be able to chat with someone about the baby.

“I feel great. Besides the morning sickness that has since passed, I’ve been feeling well. I’m excited and nervous but overall, I feel good. Killian is ecstatic and the baby is all he talks about. It’s weird to see him so excited about something other than his ship.”

“I’m glad.” Ashley looked over at the clock on Emma’s counter and sighed. “Well, I have to get this one home so we can make dinner and get her to bed. If you need me I’m only a call away. Thanks again, Emma.”

“Like I said no problem.” Emma waved a hand. “Alexandra was really sweet and she also knows a lot. I’ll also keep that in mind.”

Emma walked the mother and daughter to the front hall where Alexandra’s shoes were. She slipped them on quickly and tugged her mother down the pathway. Emma watched as they walked down towards Main Street for a second before closing the door. Leaning against it, she peeked one eye open to look over into her living room. She groaned and decided that she could clean up later; For now, she could nap. Curling up in her favorite chair, Emma relaxed and let herself fall into a deep sleep.

                                                                                ***

A few hours later, Emma was awakened by the sound of loud noise and chattering. She was disoriented by the darkness that filled the room. As she gathered her sense of surroundings, Emma realized that Hook was home. He clambered into the door singing a song that was way too loud for whatever time it was. Not only was he singing but he wasn’t alone.

“In here boys,” Hook lead his equally drunk friends to the kitchen not knowing that Emma was asleep in the living room. Glasses clinked loudly, chairs squeaked against the linoleum floors, and the sound of more music sifted to Emma’s ears to her spot on the chair. “Shh, my wife is sleeping.” Hook laughed in a tone that meant he really didn’t care if she was sleeping or not.

Emma counted to ten to get her breathing in check. She didn’t need this right now. Not when she was cranky, and sore, and just wanting to be in bed. She would be damned if she had to babysit a grown man and his drunken friends. Emma took steady steps to the kitchen where she stopped in the doorway. She watched as Killian’s friends were in and out of the fridge. Someone had grabbed the last of her pickles and she could feel her nostrils flare. That set her off.

“Killian?” Emma called for his attention. “Killian, don’t you think it’s time for your friends to go home?” She said it as more of a statement than a question.

Hook brightened and gave her the widest smile. She could see now that he was drunker than she originally anticipated. “Emma, come here.” He didn’t give her time to react before he pulled her into a hug that was quickly becoming uncomfortable. She could smell the rum on his breath. “Hey all, doesn’t my wife look beautiful?”

“Aye, she’s a looker.” One of Hook’s friends agreed. She narrowed her eyes as they zeroed in on the stack of pickles that he was currently shoving into his mouth. Her pickles.

“Killian, I want these people out of my house,” Emma said firmly.

“Oh, come on love, we’re just having a bit of fun.” Killian gestured to his friends. “We didn’t even step on your flower beds on the way in this time. I’d say that’s a step up. Besides, this is just as much my house as it is yours. Right?”

Emma had to mentally remind herself to check on her flowers in the morning. She could feel herself withering under Killian’s questioning gaze. She always gave in and ended up annoyed when he tried to argue. She once again hated how submissive she became when she was around him. But tonight, she didn’t care. Glancing over at their clock on the counter, it was 2 am, much later than he promised to be home. Her annoyance flared again when she thought about how much food she would have to go out and buy once his friends were long gone. She wasn’t having it.

“Killian, unless you want to sleep in your bed tonight, I suggest you get these people out of my house and now.” Emma spoke in a tone that meant she wasn’t playing. No one seemed to be paying attention to her as his friends continued to rummage through the kitchen for dishes and more food.

“Hey, do you have any napkins?” Louie, Hook’s best friend asked. His breath in her face ticked her off even more.

“Come on love, we’ll just be a little while and I’ll be up to bed in a bit.” Hook spoke over the noise of someone suddenly breaking one of Emma’s favorite dishes. He laid his hand over her belly and smiled proudly down at her, completely oblivious to the break of said dish.

Emma felt her anger rise with the sound of the glass breaking. “Killian,” Emma shouted this time and only regretted it when all the lights flickered on and off. That was weird but an effective way to get everyone to shut up. Her magic was clearly going wonky and it was just what she needed right now. “Now.” She didn’t address the magical mishap as she stalked out of the room to their bedroom upstairs.

Hot tears stung her eyes as she stripped her clothes from her body. She threw on an old t-shirt that reached mid-thigh. She let her pent-up anger simmer as she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Through her night routine, Emma wondered how in the world she could raise a child with someone so irresponsible. Killian coming home drunk wasn’t a rare occurrence even though she would rather not admit it. She couldn’t have him coming home at all times of night. Was that how it would be when they had a newborn? She felt a flutter and reached down to calm the movement in her belly.

“I’m sorry baby, your daddy made me really angry,” Emma spoke soothingly. She wiped away the stray tears that she hadn’t meant to let fall. “It will be just fine.” Emma tried to convince herself.

Her mood wasn’t going to get better so she climbed into bed. She simply listened to the sound of Hook pushing his friends out and then cleaning up their kitchen. She even listened as she heard him climb the stairs and approach their bedroom. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep as he undressed and climbed into bed beside her. He wrapped an arm around her to rest his hands on her bump but was pushed away.

“Killian, you can’t keep doing this.” Emma’s voice broke. “We’re bringing a baby into this world and whether you like it or not all of the partying with your friends has to end. This is a chance to prove yourself and so far, you’re showing me why having this baby could be a terrible thing.”

She was four months pregnant and her hormones were wacky. Emma was now full on crying, she tensed when Hook laid a hand on her shoulders, clearly, he didn’t get the message that she didn’t want to be touched.

“Love, I’m…”

“No, you can’t just be sorry,” Emma raised a hand to stop him from speaking. She turned so that she was considering his eyes as she spoke. Even in the darkness, with the moon shining just the right amount of light in their bedroom, he could tell that she was hurt. “Our child and our family should be more important to you than anything. You should be able to realize that your pregnant wife is home waiting for you and not you and your friends. Seriously, get it together.”

With that Emma turned and yanked the covers she that was cocooned under them. She moved as far as she could while still being comfortable. She didn’t need this now. Not when she was going through so much.


	5. Chapter 5

“You’re wonderful,” Facilier whispered into her hair as he drifted off to sleep. His right arm laying over her waist possessively as they lay so closely together. Regina could feel his steady breathing against her neck and it was calming. She wanted to let herself enjoy this moment. She wanted to be able to feel something with Facilier now that he was here. No one knew of their relationship but them as she wanted to keep it a secret. She couldn’t handle Henry being disappointed that she was with a man who was so evil. She knew better than anyone that he wasn’t truly evil. She didn’t think anyone was. His actions showed otherwise and she knew that path all too well.

Facilier was kind, and sweet, and even charming when they were alone. Of course, having to keep up appearances, in front of everyone else he was cold and callous. It was all a rouse to keep everyone from being suspicious of them. She couldn’t say that she was completely satisfied with their little arrangement. There were plenty of nights like this where she was reluctant to let him warm her bed. In truth, that was all he was doing. She could almost love him if she let herself. If she allowed herself to feel as though he seemed to feel for her. Facilier hadn’t said the three words yet but it was in the way he treated her. The way he looked at her was a mixture of love and lust. She couldn’t describe it as anything else. If she was willing it could be something more between them, but for now, their relationship was just stolen kisses and quick romps in the middle of the night. Facilier would fall asleep and Regina would cuddle into his arms until she felt suffocated. Then she would poof him into his own home with a flick of her hand. The last time she’d done something like this, she’d been so easily rejected, discarded, and broken.

Being in another realm helped Regina keep her mind off everything happening in Storybrooke. When saying she needed to find her happy ending, she knew she was doing the exact opposite. Heartbroken and angry, Regina made the last-minute decision. She felt Facilier shift in his sleep and she knew she needed to get some sleep herself. His hands were cold and large and nothing like who she really wanted to be here. Shaking her head, she refused to think about Emma. She refused to let herself feel the ache of her broken heart. So, without hurting herself more, she settled into Facilier’s arms and drifted off to sleep.

                                                                                                   ***

“Mom, have you heard anything about magical babies over in the Enchanted Forest?” Emma asked curiously. She was visiting the Loft after having not been over for a while. Upon Mary Margaret’s questioning gaze, Emma elaborated a little further on what she meant. “I mean, you did spend a lot of time in the forest and I was just wondering if something like that would be possible.”

“A few times but it was nothing out of the ordinary.” Mary Margaret placed a cup of tea in front of Emma. “I think we were a little more conservative in the Enchanted Forest but two women falling in love and having children was possible as were two men. Though rare, magical babies were a thing. I haven’t really run into any of those situations while here in Storybrooke. There are still same-sex couples here but since the curse broke magic has been wonky. Why do you ask?”

Emma shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant. “It was just something I heard about that interested me.” There was no way she would tell her mother that she thought she was carrying a magical baby. There was a slim chance that she would ever tell her that she might be expecting Regina’s baby. No matter how true the statement might be. Being in denial is what she did best.

“If you’re more than interested I think Rumple or even Regina would be able to help you out on the topic.” Mary Margaret began. “It’s a beautiful thing and I think they would be more of a help.”

Emma didn’t react at the mention of Regina and that was everything Mary Margaret needed to know. She was used to mentioning Regina and Emma’s ears perking up as if she was a dog. They were practically connected at the hip the last few months of Henry’s graduation. After his trip, that’s when Mary Margaret noticed a change. They no longer interacted with each other in public, there were no more lunches at Granny’s, no more dinners at Regina’s. Everything seemed to stop so suddenly. She had an inkling why but she didn’t want to be wrong.

“Emma?”

Emma stopped her sipping on her warm tea and looked over to her mother.

“Did something happen between you and Regina?” Emma’s choking reaction was more telling than she wanted it to be.

“No, Mom, why?” There it was. The way Emma’s voice became a few octaves higher when she was lying. No one else ever noticed it but Mary Margaret knew. Emma was her daughter and she knew when she was lying. “You know that you can tell me anything and I’ll always listen right, Emma?”

“Yes, Mom, I promise you nothing has happened between Regina and I.” She stood to set her mug in the sink. “I think she just wanted a fresh start. I don’t know what’s going on in the other realm but I hope she’s happy.” She was trying to convince herself that these words were true. That Regina hadn’t left because of what they did. What she did.

“Emma, are you sure because I…”

“Mom, please.” Emma held up a hand. Leaning against the counter, she braced herself for a headache she could feel coming.

“Fine, fine.” Mary Margaret raised her hands in mock surrender. Clearly, this was a sore subject for Emma and she didn’t want to make it worse. Not with her condition she didn’t need to be stressed out.

“How’s dad doing at the station?” Emma changed their course of conversation. “I know taking up my extra shifts isn’t too easy on him.”

“Your father is doing well.” Mary Margaret sighed. She knew Emma was avoiding what was bothering her but she wouldn’t pressure her daughter. In her own time, Emma would tell her. She always did. “He’s missing you being there though.”

“I miss doing patrolling with him too.” Emma grinned. “Maybe I’ll pick up a few of my old shifts to be with him this week. I think he’ll like that.”

“I think he’ll love it.” Mary Margaret agreed.” Every dad loves spending time with his little girl.”

Emma nodded in agreement but said nothing more. They sat in a comfortable silence that seemed to go on forever. It was not more than a few seconds. Suddenly, Emma decided to ask a question.

“Mom, if you found out that dad had another child out there would you be angry?”

Mary Margaret’s face was curious but she didn’t ask. Sometimes Emma could be very random. “Maybe for a while. A long while. I would try to figure out the circumstances behind this child. But ultimately, I would welcome this child as if they were my own. It all just depends.”

“How are you always so forgiving? I mean, considering everything that you guys have been through. How are you always so filled with hope?” Emma questioned. She didn’t know if she could ever be so optimistic. Not now and not ever. It was like her mom’s special talent or something.

“I always have hope. Hope gives you the motivation to keep pushing forward. Brings forth new things and all that jazz.” Under Emma’s curious gaze, Mary Margaret shrugged. “I’m taking a leaf from Regina’s book and not giving you a hope speech. Something tells me it isn’t the right time for that. Just know that whatever it is, whatever has you feeling so torn, it will all work out. It probably doesn’t look like it now, but, Emma, we have been through so much more. You’ve overcome so much more. So, have hope that it will all fall into place.”

“I thought you said no hope speech.” Emma groaned. No matter how much she didn’t want to hear about hope, and faith, and optimism, she knew she needed to hear it. There was no sense in moping around and being sad. Constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop wasn’t how she needed to live.

So, Emma left her mother’s house with a new sense of hope. There was only one person that could tell her exactly what she wanted to know and she was going to find some answers.

                                                                                                                      ***

She was hoping in fact, not to lose her edge as she approached the convent. She didn’t come here often. Religion wasn’t her thing and it surely wasn’t Killian’s. Sometimes though, when she really needed it, she would go and pray. She would talk to whatever higher power there was and pray that things turned out well. She used to do it a lot back in Boston but had stopped upon arriving in Storybrooke. That wasn’t what she was here for today though, right now she needed to talk to Mother Superior Aka the Blue Fairy. That woman seemed to know everything. Emma wanted answers and she was going to get them.

Emma walked through the church in search for Mother Superior’s office when she bumped into her in the hallway.

“Hey, Mother Superior, do you have a moment?” Emma scratched the back of her neck nervously. Under Mother Superior’s scrutinizing gaze, she shifted her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. It was almost as if she knew what Emma was there for.

“Come into my office.” Mother Superior gestured for Emma to have a seat. Emma sat and looked around the office while the other woman sat. “You’re here for answers?”

“I am,” Emma confirmed suspiciously. “I think you know what I’m here for and why I didn’t go to Rumple. I wasn’t in the mood to be making deals with him."

“I understand.” Mother Superior nodded. She looked Emma over for a second before opening her motion to speak. It seemed that Emma was going to ask questions that she could not answer directly. “Your baby is very powerful.”

Emma’s mouth snapped shut before she could ask what she wanted. “Well…okay. I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”

“It can be. Of course, the little one will be raised by The Savior so I have no doubts that this baby will be good. Its conception was out of True Love.”

“True love?” Emma perked up.

“The one and only.” Mother Superior hummed. “I know that is why you’re here. Your baby is good, strong, healthy. But their birth will be controversial. It will cause quite a stir and a few people will be left hurt.”

“Hurt?” Emma needed her to elaborate more.

“I can’t tell you the future Emma. It’s not of my abilities. I’m just telling you a brief inkling of what could be.” She told the other woman. “It may not seem like it now but you will have all the answers. You will choose the right path. Just don’t screw it up.”

“Gee thanks,” Emma muttered. “So, my baby will be just fine. I know I can’t ask too much of you but they will be fine. Right?”

“Yes, Emma.” Mother Superior nodded. “You will give birth to a healthy baby. That much is obvious. It’s the consequences of the birth of this child that you should worry about. It will change your life forever.”

Great, that was just what she needed. Cryptic answers and a whole lot more worrying to do. She was relieved to know that her child was going to be healthy. Her little guy in there was good. Seemed like now all she needed to worry about was herself. What she was going to do. That one she was going to have to figure out on her own.

                                                                                                                    ***

“Drizella, you’re driving me nuts.” Regina rolled her eyes as she sat on a nearby boulder. It was hard and uncomfortable but for now, it would have to do. There was no point in doing unnecessary magic. She didn’t like to be wasteful. As the sun basically fried her face, Regina shook her head and watched the younger brunette dance around her. Taking on Drizella as her apprentice was something she hadn’t taken lightly. She saw the potential in this young girl that she once had in herself. Back then, before she was married off to the king, Regina was carefree, and full of life, and bubbly even. Kind of like how Drizella was now. Sure, she was jaded by the wrongdoings of her mother, but she was still the same girl. Regina saw so much of herself in her friend.

“Oh Regina, live a little.” Drizella laughed as she danced in front of her friend. She was feeling good after finally mastering a levitation trick Regina had shown her. “I know you can dance. Those hips are there for something.”

“Yeah well, right now they’re helping to support the rest of my body as I sit.” Regina drawled. It was way too hot for Drizella’s enthusiasm.

“Suit yourself.” Drizella shrugged. She danced for a few more minutes. Despite there being no music around, she danced to her own rhythm. When she was done, she sat beside Regina on the boulder bumping shoulders with her to catch her attention. Sometime in the past few minutes, her mind had wandered off. “What’s with you? Your mind seems to be all over the place today.”

“Yeah, it’s just, I’m missing home.” She admitted. She did miss Storybrooke. It had been her town for 30 years. It was still her home. Eventually, she would go back and visit. She wished it was sooner rather than later. But she knew she couldn’t do it. Not when Emma was there with her new family.

“Maybe we can go and visit sometime,” Drizella suggested. “I’ll even open up the portal for us.”

“Please,” Regina scoffed. As if she would ever let her open a portal. “We’d be missing and probably land in Oz.”

“I heard the munchkins were nice.” Drizella joked.

“You’re something else.” Regina shook her head. She shifted so that the Sun wasn’t hitting her so harshly.

“There’s someone there isn’t it?” Drizella asked knowingly. “Someone you love?”

“Yes and no.” Regina stood and dusted off her bottom. “I love her. I just don’t think she loves me back. But that’s for another time. Are you afraid of heights?” Regina set off on a walk into the forest. Her ability to change the subject was unmatched. She always made it known that certain topics were off limits. This one didn’t have any exceptions.

“That depends,” Drizella yelled after her. What in the world was she going to have her do?

                                                                                                            ***

Later that night, Regina was alone in her chambers for the first time in a while. She was lonely. That much was apparent. Even though she had so many people here that she loved, it still wasn’t the same. She spent time with Jacinda, Tiana, and Henry for most of the time. She would train Drizella on most days while also filling her bed with Facilier at night. She was truly enjoying her time here.

Then there were nights like this where she was stuck in her own head. Emma was on her mind heavily. She wondered how far along she was now. With time moving a little faster in this realm, she could guess that Emma was entering her fifth month. A part of her ached to know that she wouldn’t be seeing her best friend go through pregnancy. She was hurt about how they left things. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. They had made so much progress only for it to be knocked down for one simple mistake. Only it wasn’t that simple.  
She wouldn’t just set her feelings aside for Emma just because she declared that it meant nothing to her. Regina knew that she couldn’t do that. Not anymore. So, with a little distance, she was hoping that she could get better. She was hoping that it wouldn’t hurt so much. Yet it did and it wasn’t getting any better.

Tonight, Henry and Jacinda had announced their pregnancy. After months of trying for a baby, Jacinda was pregnant. They were having a little girl and had been over the moon about it. Regina had been elated at the news. She loved her son and she loved Jacinda. It had triggered something inside of her to know that there was still a possibility of Emma’s baby being hers. She needed answers and she needed them now. She didn’t think she would be able to live with herself if she left it unknown.


	6. Chapter 6

“Are you both ready to find out if you’re having a boy or girl?” Doctor Kyle took her seat beside Emma’s bed. She waited patiently for Emma to get comfortable before spreading the cool gel against her stomach. Emma barely flinched as it hit her skin. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling but it was weird. The fact that this machine could see well enough through her stomach to see her baby amazed her. The physical changes she was going through only added to the visual excitement of the ultrasound. With her belly now hardened and much harder than ever, Emma was finally getting used to the fact that she would soon have to wear maternity clothes.

Realizing she hadn’t answered Dr. Kyle’s question, she nodded her head nervously, never having taken her eyes off the monitor. She had been waiting for this moment ever since finding out she was pregnant. Of course, all she wanted was a healthy baby but she was secretly hoping for a girl. Hook, on the other hand, had been hoping for a boy. He was very vocal about his wishes and it had gotten to the point where Emma made him promise not to talk about the gender of their baby until the day of the revealing ultrasound.

“More than we’ll ever be,” Emma muttered. She could feel Hook’s hand slide into her own and for that she was thankful. His support was a huge change from his usual brand of idiocy. He was stepping up and Emma was glad to see it.

“And if I just move this over here,” Doctor Kyle spoke more to herself than the couple beside her. “You will see that there is no penis attached to the little one. You’re having a beautiful baby girl” Emma’s happiness was contagious and Doctor Kyle found herself smiling.

“I guess that’ll do. Only the second girl allowed on my ship.” Hook joked as he kissed Emma’s cheek.

Emma’s eyes filled with tears at hearing the news. She was having a little girl. Housed inside her safe and warm was a baby girl. She was over the moon. She suddenly became panicked when she thought about a little girl with her temper. A little girl that would cause her to have mini heart attacks if she was anything like her mom was. Climbing trees, playing with stray animals, and dear god the broken bones. Emma was terrified but couldn’t wait for those days.

                                                                                ***

“We’re having a little girl.” Emma gushed to her parents as they entered the loft. She had promised they’d be the first to know what they were having. It was a thrilling time and she was happy to know that her parents were being so supportive. With them, by her side, she felt as if motherhood wouldn’t be so hard. Sure, it was the second time around, but this was from scratch. The baby wouldn’t be ten years old and already a grown human. Everything they did from the birth of their baby would shape their personality. It was daunting to think about, but she was still happy.

“Oh, Emma that’s wonderful.” Snow cheered. Mindful of Emma’s bump she pulled her into a bone crushing hug. She just couldn’t believe that she was going to be a grandmother again. During the curse, she had been able to watch Henry grow up from afar. He was nothing more than her student back then but this time around she could be there for her daughter and their family.

“Congratulations,” David grinned as he pats Killian on the back. Besides being a father and being a grandfather was one of his greatest joys. Seeing his girl become vulnerable and welcoming was refreshing. When they had first met, Emma was so rough and hard to get to. She was strong and bold and now even more so.

“Neal is at a playdate with Alexandra, so he can’t share in his excitement of being an uncle.” Snow explained. “Why don’t you guys sit, and I’ll finish up dinner.”

Emma sat and was thankful for the release of pressure on her heels. Everything seemed to ache these days. From her sore and swollen feet, her tender breasts, and the occasional heartburn, these were the side effects of pregnancy she did not miss. Kicking her feet onto the coffee table, Emma looked over to her dad.

“So, do we have names yet?” Snow called from the kitchen. It was only a few feet away, but she felt the need to speak up. Often when Killian and David were together they would talk.

“Mom, we just found out she was a girl.”

“That’s fine because it gives us more time to think of a theme for her nursery.” Snow pulled her casserole from the oven. The smell wafted over to Emma’s nose and her mouth water like she was a salivating dog. “You are allowing us to help you with the nursery, right? Dinner is served.”

Emma took her time rising to her feet to sit at the table. She shrugged before diving into her plate.

“I think that would be best considering Emma is going to be taking time off work soon,” Killian spoke up. He missed the look of confusion on Emma’s face.

“Time off?” She questioned. Considering she never agreed to take time off it was weird for him to say.

“Yeah, you know, being pregnant and all.” Killian waved his hook. “It’s not very fitting for you.”

“We’ll talk about this later.” Emma dismissed his assumption before he could even get attached to the idea. There was no way she was taking off work unless she absolutely had to,

“Well, I for one would be excited to help with whatever we can.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Emma wrinkled her brow. She didn’t understand where Hook came off telling her what she was going to do. He’d made it a habit in the past few years, but it was clear he needed to be shut down.

They continued the rest of dinner with conversations about family, church events and even work. They mentioned Henry and Regina with Snow being the only one to notice the change in Emma’s demeanor. She seemed distant when it came to talking about her best friend. Snow wasn’t so convinced that something wasn’t going on with them.

“Emma, take care of yourself.” Snow whispered into her hair at the end of the night. Emma nodded but didn’t ask for a further explanation of what she meant. With her mom, she could always tell if she knew something. Snow knew something was up, but she didn’t know the exact details. Emma prayed that her mother would just leave well enough alone. Nothing good came from snooping.

                                                                                ***

“You know now would be an appropriate time for you to take off work.”  Hook mentioned again on the drive back. He’d never learned how to drive himself. It didn’t seem like he wanted to learn anyways. He was perfectly content with being in the passenger seat.

“What? You’re kidding.” Emma scoffed. She was surprised he was even suggesting something like this. She loved her job and everything about it. Sure, chasing bad guys was tough but she wasn’t going to quit.

“No, Swan, I’m not.”

Emma glanced in his direction to see that he was dead serious. She scoffed again. “I’m not quitting my job, Killian. I’m perfectly fine and I’m not far enough along to where it would be dangerous.”

“Because chasing down criminals isn’t dangerous?” Hook challenged.

  
“I’ve been on desk duty and light patrols ever since I found out I was pregnant. I’m not quitting.” Emma pulled into their driveway and parked the car. She ripped the keys from the ignition and quickly exited. She walked to the front door in anger.

“I don’t think you should be doing anything like that.” Killian began. He watched as she fumbled with the keys. She cursed under her breath because all she wanted to do was get away from him and the impending argument. Today was off to a good start and she didn’t need him ruining it. Her blood boiled even more as he removed the keys from her hand to open the door.

“I’m pregnant, not elderly.” Emma groaned. “I do not want to have this conversation. I’m staying at my job for as long as I can. Besides, plenty of moms work right up until labor. I want to get as much time in as I can before I’m practically waddling around everywhere. Why is this such a big deal?”

“Emma, I thought it would be a bit easier for you before the lad gets here.” He locked the door behind him. He gave her no reprieve from his incessant and ridiculous request as he followed her around their house. She stopped in the kitchen to pour herself a glass of orange juice. It had been on her mind all day and she was dying to have some. “I mean you’re going to be out of work anyways until they’re old enough to start school. What’s a few more months?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Emma stopped mid-drink. “You think I’m going to be a stay at home mom?”

Hook nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Okay, I know I’ve changed a lot, the way I dress and the way I act at times but I don’t know whatever led you to believe that I, Emma Swan, would be a stay at home mom.” She gestured wildly.

“Emma Swan-Jones,” He corrected which annoyed her just a tiny bit more.

“Right,” She sucked her teeth. “Anyways, that is off the table. I’m keeping my job. I’ll do maternity leave but I’m going back. That’s always been my plan.”

“But how will the baby know you love them if you’re always gone?” Hook asked.

“Listen, there are plenty of women that work every day and still find time to spend time with their kids. Look at Regina.”

Hook shook his head and she knew this conversation wouldn’t be over any time soon. “and Henry turned out so well.”

“Don’t you dare,” Emma’s nostrils flared. “Henry grew up with the best care. He had manners and was thoughtful, and kind. You know why? Because he was raised by a working mother that was able to be his mom while also keeping sane by working.”

“If you call being the evil queen sane.” Hook quipped.

“Don’t talk about her like that.” Emma snapped. She was coming agitated with Hook. “Now, I’m going to work and that’s final.”

“I forbid you.” Hook called out to her back.

“What?” Emma shook her head. “You can’t forbid me, Killian. I’m not a kid. Now I don’t know why it’s in your nature to pick fights with me but this isn’t one you’re going to win. Now, I forbid you from sleeping in our bed tonight. I hope the couch is comfortable.”

He had gotten to her and they both knew it. She didn’t want to deal with him tonight and she would be angry for the rest of the night.

                                                                                ***

“Henry, how is she?” Regina wrung her hands nervously. After waiting for so long she began to get worried. After collapsing in the grand hall, she had caused quite a stir. At 8 months pregnant, Jacinda had been feeling weak and lightheaded. The castle physician was examining her now and everyone was waiting to hear news of her illness.

“She’s fine.” Henry let out a shaky breath. “Just a bit of dehydration but overall, she’s fine. I have to remind her to take care of herself. She’s always trying to help others.

“That’s good to hear.” Regina dropped her hands by her side. Knowing that everything was okay with her daughter in law and grandchild eased her mind.

“How are you?” Henry asked suddenly. Though they had been sitting in a comfortable silence, he could practically hear Regina’s thoughts from where he was sitting. There was something bothering her, that much was clear. He just didn’t know what.

“I’m quite well Henry,” Regina said. “Why do you ask?”

He gestured to the way she was sitting and shrugged. “You always sit a little slumped over when you’re thinking about something. Your posture is always perfect, but I’ve grown up with you. What’s wrong?”

Regina was impressed but not surprised by just how well her son knew her. She wasn’t aware that she had a tell. She always thought herself to be stoic and having a remarkable poker face. Regina hesitated about whether she wanted to tell Henry what was plaguing her thoughts. That she might be the other mother to his new baby sibling. Not knowing how well he would take it, Regina lied.

“I miss Storybrooke. I miss being Mayor.” She began. He seemed convinced if not interested in her reasoning.

“Well, you can always go back and visit.” Henry sat next to her. He took her hand in his own and began to play with her ring; much like he did when he was younger. With a few wrinkles showing the signs of how much time had passed, they looked just as much the same. It was comforting not only for him but her too. His mom was hurting, and she wasn’t willing to admit it.  That was just who Regina was. She pushed her own feelings down to make everyone else happy. Whether she knew It or not, Regina was a people pleaser. Her time as the Evil Queen was the only time she’d done something for herself. Though she wasn’t proud of it, she’d redeemed herself over the past few years. She worked tirelessly and endlessly to save the town and its people. He missed it too. He just wasn’t ready to go back yet.

“That’s true.” Regina sighed. “I have a lot of history there.”

“Yeah, including mom,” Henry mentioned. He’d been skirting around the idea of asking Regina if something happened between them. It was never the right time. She always seemed to never want to talk. Regina didn’t speak as she tried to figure out what he was hinting at. Henry wasn’t as subtle as he thought he was. “I mean she’s your best friend and now you both seem so distant. You didn’t seem happy about the baby news and she hadn’t even told you. It’s just weird. Like when she first came to town.”

“Henry,” Regina sighed. “Things change, and people change. We are doing just fine.”

“If I ask you something will you tell me the truth?” He said. Regina tilted her head to listen. “Do you love mom? Are you in love with her?”

Tears sprung to her eyes she couldn’t answer that. Well, she could but she didn’t want to. Only admitting it to herself she didn’t want to tell Henry. She did not want it to be true.

“Henry, I” She began. Swallowing thickly, she shook her head and sighed. “None of that matters. Your mother, Emma, is married.” She looked into his eyes. He could see just how hurt she was. “But what does matter is that I’m here with you. Your wife is going to have a baby and I’m going to be a grandmother.”

“That’s true.” Regina’s deflecting wasn’t lost on him. She wanted to change the subject and he was fine with that. “I think I’ll go check on her again. Maybe I’ll grab something to eat. Do you, uh, do you want anything?”

“No, you go ahead.” Regina smiled at him. “I’ll be there soon.”

Henry nodded and walked away. He wasn’t entirely convinced but would leave it alone for now. Regina watched Henry’s back until he disappeared inside of the castle. Running a hand through her hair, she began to think about that night back in Philadelphia. If it wasn’t for that night she would be able to push down her feelings. She could live with not having Emma. As much as it pained her, they just weren’t meant to be. With a snort, she shook her head and retreated to her bedroom. She could lie to herself all she wanted but it wasn’t true. Being without Emma was killing her. But there was nothing she could do.

**_14 weeks ago_ **

“Regina, you can’t possibly think that I’m a lightweight.” Emma grinned as she stumbled behind her friend. Regina opened the door and practically hit her with it as they entered their shared hotel room. It was one of those fancy four-star hotels with the nice beds and 1000 thread count cotton sheets. Emma had talked her down from getting something super expensive since they would only be here two days. Then it would be onto the next city which she had already forgotten.

“Emma, you’ve been talking for the past fifteen minutes. From the restaurant until now, do be a dear and give your mouth a break.” Regina slipped her feet from her heels. She was always elegant and graceful. Even being intoxicated herself. Emma wasn’t sure what it was, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Regina’s flexing calf muscles as she stretched her feet. No doubt she was in pain from wearing those insanely high heels.

Emma shook her head and tore off her own jacket, throwing it haphazardly across a chair in the corner. Regina scowled but said nothing. She would pick and choose her battles and right now she did not want to be arguing with a drunk Emma. It was like the woman reverted to an annoying teenager with a giggling problem.

“You don’t think Henry would pick this school, would he?” Emma picked up a brochure from the University of Pennsylvania. “I mean it’s a little far?”

“He seems to like it.” Regina shrugged. With her earrings now removed, she stepped into the bathroom to clean her face. She was only half listening to what Emma was saying. Not being as drunk as she had its advantages, and one of them was being able to control what came out of her mouth. She was annoyed by the whistling coming from the next room.

Meanwhile, Emma was in fact whistling while reading through the brochure. They would be taking a tour of the school in the morning. No doubt she would be hungover and tired, but Regina would take care of her. It never failed. She didn’t get drunk often and rarely did they ever go out. Work and getting Henry ready for his last year of school had taken up a lot of their time. They hadn’t been able to hang out as much as they wanted. Now, under the guise of a graduation road trip, they had been able to have a little fun of their own. 

“Emma, can you unzip me please?” Regina called from the bathroom. Emma stopped her whistling to think about exactly what Regina was asking her to do. She walked slowly to the bathroom only to stop at the open door. It was entertaining to see Regina try to unsuccessfully unzip her dress. A deep red dress that came down to her knees. It hugged her in all the right places, especially her ass, Regina’s ass was one to be envious over, but Emma knew that wasn’t the case with her. She brought her eyes up to where Regina continued to struggle. Her drunk thoughts weren’t going to get her anywhere and she would only feel guilty in the end.

“Emma, are you going to stand there or are you going to help me?” Regina huffed.

“Right, of course.” Emma shook her head. Stepping a little closer, she raised her shaky hands to the zipper at the back of Regina’s dress. They had been close all night between dancing and drinking together, but only now did she smell Regina’s perfume. It was enticing and strong and it smelled like a lot of money. That was the only way to describe it. Emma took the zipper between her fingers and slowly pulled it down exposing more and more of Regina’s tan back. She could count the freckles donning her otherwise smooth skin. She became dizzy as she realized Regina wasn’t wearing a bra. Of course, it wouldn’t have been fitting for this type of dress, but it was all the same. She continued to pull the dress down until It reached the curve of Regina’s ass. She was secretly hoping that Regina wasn’t wearing underwear but couldn’t say she was disappointed at the black lace peeking out from under.

Though she was done unzipping the dress, Emma did not move. Regina, on the other hand, had practically stopped breathing with Emma being so close. She wasn’t sure that having her unzip the dress was a good idea after all. Not when she could see through the mirror Emma’s inner turmoil. She gulped before lifting her head.

“Emma?

Emma’s usual green eyes were darker and much more dilated. She screamed at everything in her body to not do it. As they made eye contact, Regina’s eyes fluttered shut as she felt Emma’s breath along her neck. With soft lips ghosting her shoulder, Regina shuddered. She couldn’t find it in herself to stop Emma. Not when it felt so good.

“Regina, tell me to stop,” Emma whispered into her ear. She brushed away brown locks while grabbing Regina’s waist with her hands. Regina’s insides fluttered as the throbbing between her legs intensified.

“I can’t do that.” She groaned. Emma drew her tongue along Regina’s neck before forcefully turning her around. They looked into each other’s eyes. While her breathing was erratic, Emma was much calmer. She brought her hands up to Regina’s neck and gripped it only slightly. At Regina’s shudder, Emma knew that she liked it rough. Which only gave her more confidence to squeeze a little more.

“Don’t tease me if you’re not going to fuck me.” Regina opened her eyes. Emma was peering into pure blackness and she almost came at hearing how husky the Mayor’s voice was. It was like pure liquid sex and she wanted to hear it screaming her name. With a determined growl she claimed Regina’s lips, as they kissed for what felt like years, she heard a moan that she couldn’t tell whether it came from her.

With a bite to her lip, Emma hissed and pulled Regina in impossibly closer. Her hands found purchase on Regina’s ass. The one she’d been admiring all day. Only for a second did she revel in the feeling before sliding them down to the back of her thighs. Lifting her up, Regina yelped in surprise as Emma carried her into the bedroom. Being a cop did have its perks.  She laid her down on the bed and quickly settled herself between Regina’s spread legs. Her dress was now hiked up above her hips and she rocked them against Emma’s abdomen. She needs friction even if that meant practically dry humping her.

“You’re so sexy.” Emma’s lip found a spot on her neck where Regina was extra sensitive. In her head, she knew she shouldn’t be doing it. She had a husband at home. But at her bite to Regina’s pulse point and the loud moan, she threw all her morals out of the window. She needed to hear that moan again. With another bite, Emma ran her fingers along Regina’s side before being surprised. She hadn’t expected to be thrown on her back as she opened her eyes to find tan hips straddling her own. She now had a clear view of those black lace panties. She dared to run her thumb across where She assumed Regina’s clit to be. If the buck of her hips and the flex of her thighs were any indications, she hit the right spot.

Now it was Regina’s turn to be rough as she grabbed a fistful of Emma’s hair and pulled her back. She didn’t waste time with being gentle as she unbuttoned Emma’s shirt with her other hand. Her fingers slipped under Emma’s white bra and she squeezed a nipple hard. She quickly made up for Emma’s cry of pain by replacing her fingers with her mouth. She sucked the hardening bud into her mouth, flicking her tongue across the tip, driving Emma insane. She only stopped when she got tired of being restricted.

“You have on too many clothes.” Regina made quick work of removing Emma’s shirt and bra before removing her own dress. Leaving her in nothing but her black lace panties, Emma flipped her over and regained dominance. She pinned Regina’s hands against the bed, with a final kiss to her lips, Emma lowered herself to be face level with Regina’s breast. Regina arched her back so that her nipple was just mere inches away from Emma’s lips. Emma simply breathed against it, her hot breath watching it harden before she finally swirled her tongue around it.

“Yes,” Regina whispered. She struggled against Emma’s hands trying to get more of her inside of her mouth. Emma gave both breasts equal attention with Regina practically being a panting mess by the time she moved onto her stomach. She kissed a trail down her flat stomach and stopped when she reached the waistband of those panties. Those damn panties that teased her since the very beginning.

Emma took the waistband into her mouth and tugged them down with her teeth, she peered up to see Regina watching her with interest. Only then did she let her hands go so that she could move them down the rest of the way. She stood to remove her own jeans and shoes before returning to her spot. The scooted so that Regina’s head was now lying on a pillow. She wanted her to be as comfortable as she could for what was about to happen.

Spreading her legs once again, Emma laid on her stomach kissing each thigh before licking a line up Regina’s center. Her pussy was hot and wet, and it smelled so good. It tasted even better as she licked again. Wrapping her hands around Regina’s waist, she stopped her from moving. She wanted her to feel every lap of her tongue, Regina cried out in ecstasy, every lick and every suck brought her higher and higher. Emma’s finger sliding into her was what sent her over the edge. She slid her hand into Emma’s hair and clamped her knees together to keep the other woman right where she wanted her. It had been so long since she’d been satisfied like this and she was left spent.

Once the aftershock of her orgasm had passed, she opened her eyes to see Emma waiting patiently with a smug look on her face.

                                                                                ***

“Emma, wake up?” Emma quickly sat up and opened her eyes. She was breathing roughly and the slickness between her thighs was intense. Being pulled from that dream, memory was disappointing only to find that Killian was looking back at her.

“You were moaning in your sleep, are you alright love?” He asked as he rubbed her shoulder.

“I’m fine.” She breathed out. She was aroused, and disappointed, and guilty. Emma was guilty. It was high time she tell him just exactly what she had done.

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

She was bored. She was incredibly bored. Her mindless flicking through endless Netflix screens wasn’t helping her. She’d been watching tv all morning and it was turning her brain to jelly. Being so close to her due date, Emma found that she was getting tired more easily and that meant she was always in bed.

She knew her mom and friends were downstairs decorating for her baby shower today. A baby shower that Emma had desperately asked not to be thrown. In the end she was convinced to let Snow be a grandmother and throw the thing. One condition was that Emma refused to wear pink. If she did she would look like a bottle of Pepto Bismol and she didn’t need the memories of that. So instead she’d opted for a nice sweater dress that hugged her bump perfectly. She paired it with thick white leggings and bare feet. She would not be putting on any real shoes for these swollen puppies for a while.

Emma turned her ear to the open door as she tried to listen in on what was going on downstairs. It just wasn’t fair that she was just sitting around while everyone else was decorating for her party. Emma didn’t like being lazy but right now she really didn’t have a choice.

With a huff, she pressed play on her remote and continued to the next episode of One Tree Hill. She had to remember that in just a few weeks she would not be able to relax like she was used to. In two hours, she was done watching tv and relieved when she heard Snow leave to go and pick up more things. This was her chance to get downstairs and see what everything was looking like.

She tiptoed down the stairs but realizing it was pointless when Ashley and Ruby would know it was her anyways. Whoa! The house looked so different than when she saw it this morning. It was no longer her home but an event room until the end of the night. She was surprised with how much they had been able to get done.

“Don’t you think my mom overdid it with the pink?” Emma pulled a stringer through her fingers.  It was a cheap paper type material and it felt weird against her skin. She turned to inspect what the rest of her house looked like. There was lots of pink lying around. The balloons were pink, the tablecloths were pink, even the cupcakes. It was a bit much to Emma. With the party just an hour away, she didn’t have much say in any changes that she wished to make. Not that there was much for her to change. Her mom was throwing this for her after all and she didn’t want to seem ungrateful. She was far from it in fact. Having Snow so involved with her pregnancy was comforting. There was no one she would rather be by her side. Well, there was one person, but she wouldn’t let that ruin her day. She was going to have fun at this baby shower. With only one more month left in her pregnancy, Emma was ready to pop. She couldn’t house this little person inside of her for much longer. Everything she did felt like twelve hours of work and more.

Amongst many other cons of pregnancy, not being able to see her feet was the worst part. Her giant belly covered any potential sight of her toes. She waddled everywhere, and she was no longer able to bend over and tie her own shoes. She wiggled said toes that were now encased inside her favorite uggs. With a shrug and a sigh, Emma joined Ashley and Ruby over at the crafts table. She probably wasn’t supposed to be down here seeing everything, but she had gotten bored. There was only so many episodes of One Tree Hill that she could watch. She was halfway through season 3 when her curiosity had gotten the best of her. Snow was out buy a few last-minute items. She left Ruby and Ashley to finish off the food table which was proving to be a bad idea as they each popped a snack into their mouth.

“I think it’s cute.” Ruby laughed at Emma’s scrunched nose. Since coming back from Oz with Dorothy she was trying to spend as much time with her friends as she could. Of course, Dorothy wasn’t too fond of spending time in places where Zelena would be. The redhead assured Emma she would only be dropping by for a moment, but Dorothy didn’t want to take any chances. No matter how much Zelena changed, she wasn’t taking any chances.

“I’m really glad that she’s doing all of this,” Emma began. “I just don’t know if it’s really me.”

“That’s completely understandable.” Ashley jumped into the conversation. “You and Snow are very different when it comes to taste. You could always tell her you don’t like it.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s just so pink.” Emma whined. At the sound of the front door opening, she stepped away from the table and stood frozen like a deer in headlights. She wasn’t expecting Snow to be back here so quickly.

“Okay guys, I have the cutest pin for Emma’s shirt,” Snow chattered before she spotted Emma. Setting her newly acquired belongings on the table, she rested her hands on her hips. “Emma, what are you doing down here? Honey, you’re supposed to be resting.” Emma felt like a chastised child as she grimaced.

“I wanted to see the decorations. I was kind of nervous.” She shrugged. “Also, I was hungry, and I really need food.”

“Well here you go.” Snow reaches inside of her grocery bag and tosses an apple. With Regina no longer in town they couldn’t get their fresh apples from her tree. She still wasn’t okay with eating them, but she knew Emma liked them.

“Thanks, I guess.” Emma turned the apple in her hands. “Mom, I don’t know who you invited but please ...”

“Emma, do not worry.” Snow ushered her daughter up the stairs. “I didn’t invite the whole town. The baby shower won’t be for long. As soon as you know it, it will be over. Don’t worry about anything. We have everything under control.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t let Grumpy in if he’s already drunk. I don’t feel like arresting him with swollen feet.” Emma yelled down the stairs. Despite her nervousness she was also excited. Emma sat on her bed with intentions to wait until the first guest arrived but before she knew it, she was out like a light. Her nap didn’t last long as she heard the doorbell ring with the arrival of her first guest. She stretched and turned to look at her alarm clock. She’d only been asleep for thirty minutes. With a sigh, she stood and rubbed her belly. The baby was being super active. Almost if she knew the party was for her.

She walked slowly downstairs in preparation for what a party that she hoped would go well.

“Hi, Welcome.” It was the first time she had genuinely smiled in days as her guest stepped inside to the living room. There were many familiar faces and even the dwarves were dressed well. Emma came to sit at the front of the living room as the games began.

There were a few questions as to why Hook wasn’t there to which Emma answered gracefully. He was working and picking up extra shifts lately. It was mostly in hopes that Emma wouldn’t be working so much, and she had picked that up immediately. She wasn’t going to argue with him about it, so she stayed silent.

They played games, ate, and laughed just like they always did. Even Grumpy was on his best behavior during the entire event. Emma was truly enjoying herself even though she was missing her best friend being there. This was supposed to be a joyous time for her, yet her baby’s paternity was always looming in the back of her mind. She shook it off and continued to have an enjoyable time.

When it was time for presents to be opened, Emma found that she was a little uncomfortable. She wasn’t too fond of people giving her things, but Snow reasoned that it was tradition. So, with a smile, and thank yous after everything was opened, Emma came to enjoy finding out what was in each box or gift bag.

“Oh, it’s so cute.” Emma laughed at the onesie Snow held up for everyone to see. Their unnamed baby would have more than enough clothes and diapers to last their entire infanthood. She was grateful that so many people were enthusiastic about the birth of a new baby, though she thought it had a little something to do with being the savior.

Emma tried to hide her disappoint when she opened the last gift only to see that there was nothing from Regina. She knew that it was a bit far-fetched for her to expect something from the other woman. Not when she wrote her off so quickly.

“Okay, thank you all for coming.” Emma heard Snow say to her guest. “It’s been a joyful day and I’m very happy that you all could come and celebrate the upcoming birth of my grandchild.”

“Yes, thank you.” Emma spoke up. “It truly means so much to me.” She made eye contact with every single face in the room and nodded her head over at Ruby. “Also, I’d like to thank my mom for being so supportive during my entire pregnancy. This has truly been an amazing night and I can’t wait for the little one to get here so that we can use all these things. But for now, I’d like to say goodnight because this baby is sitting on my bladder and I can’t wait any longer.”

Everyone laughed as Emma quickly exit the living room. She truly couldn’t wait to pee. These days she was prone to accidents and she wouldn’t be having that with all these people here. With a sigh of relief, Emma pushed down her leggings and panties and closed her eyes. She had been holding it for as long as she could. When she opened her eyes, she let out a yelp at the basket that appeared at her feet. It was surrounded by a purple smoke and she already knew who it was from. That didn’t stop her from quickly finishing and washing her hands. Once she was satisfied that her hands were dry enough, Emma hoisted the package onto the counter and inspected it. There were tons of baby stuff inside along with items that were packaged individually.

She grabbed the card tucked under the ribbon, mentally preparing herself for whatever was written, opening it was the hard part as she was met with Regina’s insanely neat handwriting.

“Dearest Emma,

I apologize for being unable to attend your baby shower. The invitations were lovely. Henry sends his love. I questioned whether it would be appropriate to send a gift given our circumstances but then I realized that it wouldn’t matter. You deserve to have a happy pregnancy and to continue to be surrounded by love. I came up with this idea with the help of Henry and our granddaughter. Though all she did was chew on the first few cards I had written. Though that was probably a good thing as I was way too emotional. Congratulations on your baby girl and well wishes. Inside are a few items that will be necessary in your first few months. Along with a few items that I know you will love.

All My Love,

Regina Mills.”

Emma didn’t know why this letter made her tear up but for now she would blame it on hormones. Her fingertips traced over the spirals and curls that made up Regina’s signature. She really missed her best friend. It made her happy to know that Regina was happy and taking care of their granddaughter, Lucy. She couldn’t believe that she was a grandmother. She was unable to meet her as it was unsafe to travel and that broke Emma’s heart. In a few months though, she would make that trip whether Hook liked it or not.

She wiped her tears away and sniffled as she tried to open the basket as delicately as she could. Lacking patience, Emma gave up and tore into the item. The first thing she pulled out was a teddy bear that said “Press Me.” on its foot.

“Hi baby, it’s your big brother Henry,” Emma laughed as she heard Henry’s goofy voice reach her ears. “You’re going to be so loved by so many people, especially me. So, don’t you forget it.”

Emma hugged the bear to her and realized it smelled just like her son. She didn’t want to ruin that and would be putting it in the baby’s crib once she was old enough. For now, she would be sleeping with it herself. It was a testament to how much she missed her son. He’d been gone for so long that she couldn’t help but miss him.

The next items were things like baby rattles and bibs. Much needed if she was going to be able to entertain such a small child. Her next gift was a little big as she opened its packaging. She had no clue what it was. The back covering a light blue, turning it over in her hands, Emma started to tear up again as she realized it was a copy of Henry’s baby book. She flipped through several pages before something below her caught her eye. Besides an empty baby book there was a deep blue baby blanket that read “Baby Swan.” Emma smiled at the sentiment that was put into this entire gift. She could only imagine the inner turmoil Regina had by sending this.

After their last conversation, Emma didn’t think she would want to have anything to do with her for a while. Now it seemed like things could get a little better between them.

“Emma, is everything okay in there?” Snow knocked. Emma almost forgot that she was in the bathroom as she tucked everything back into the basket.

“Yeah, I’ll be right out.” She called back. Wiping her face free from any tears, Emma opened the door. Snow was still standing there with a concerned look on her face. She could see that her daughter had been crying.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive.” Emma gestured over to the basket. “I got a gift from Regina and Henry, I was just getting a little emotional.”

Snow stepped around Emma to inspect that objects inside of the basket. It looked to be a gift that was very well thought out. “It’s very lovely.”

“Yeah, I thought it was pretty sweet despite her not being able to be here.” Emma shrugged.

“Would you like for me to take this upstairs with the rest of the gifts?” Snow questioned. Emma nodded and followed her mother out of the bathroom. She was glad that Snow was giving her an out and she was taking it.

“I’ll just start cleaning up.” Despite being exhausted from the baby shower, Emma was not ready to head to bed yet. She needed to clear her head, Emma set about picking up any trash that wasn’t too much for her to lift. She’d gotten quite a lot done when Snow was finally done with the presents upstairs.

“Wow, you work pretty quickly.” Snow began to clean up what was left. She knew that Emma should be resting but there was no telling her what to do. When Emma’s mind was made up she always finished her task. They cleaned in relative silence and before they knew it everything was done.

“Thanks again mom.” Emma hugged Snow.

“It was magical, and your dad and Neal are going to love this extra cake.”

“I bet they will.  See you soon.” Emma chuckled as she watched her mother down the walkway.

Great, now that the house was empty she could take a nice hot bath. Emma poured extra bubbles into her bath as she let her fingers trail inside of the water. She couldn’t stop thinking about Regina’s letter. She mentioned that there were many other letters that had been messed up and she couldn’t help but wonder what had been inside them. She would never find out and it was probably for the best.

She needed to tell Hook who the father or mother of her baby was. She needed to tell him the truth, but it couldn’t be tonight. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried before. She’d had many windows of opportunity in fact. Every time she found the courage to finally say what she did, he would mention something about the baby and his face would light up. He was more invested than she thought, and she didn’t want to crush him; Because it would crush him.

                                                                                ***

“Look, I found this neat baby names book in all of the rubble we got.” Hook showed her as she climbed into bed. Her bath had been nice, and she was very relaxed. “What do you think of Callie?”

“No, I knew a girl in school named Callie. She wasn’t a very nice person.” Emma scrunched her nose.

“Nina?”

“Nope.”

“Jessica?”

“Big fat no.”

That’s how the rest of their night was spent as they continued to try out different names for their baby. They didn’t have much time left and they needed to find the perfect name. Emma couldn’t participate in the naming of Henry and that was her own decision. She just wanted to do everything this time around that she couldn’t before.

Right now, life was peaceful. Things would soon be changing.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Contractions sucked. Contractions sucked so much. The constant tightening had Emma wanting to pull her hair out as she sat through another one. She couldn’t bear going through this hell. The pain had been dull but constant in the past few days but she wrote it off as her usual lower back pain. No time during that did she think that she was in labor but holy hell did she feel it now. Full force contractions were coming every few minutes and she couldn’t keep track of time. She was alone and in pain and it was all her fault. This morning’s events had proved as much as she thought back to how stupid she had been. She could admit that she had been being stupid way before this morning. Everything was hitting her tenfold as she tried to stand for long enough to reach the phone. She was too weak to poof herself to the hospital as she’d tried several times. There was just no way she was going to be able to make it. Which terrified her even more. She was going to have this baby alone and in pain.

She wished that for once her mother would stop by and use her key when she wasn’t supposed to. If only she could reach her phone. With a yelp, Emma tried to resist the urge to push as she thought back to this morning. It hadn’t started off as well as she hoped. Killian was angry and rightfully so. He was hurt, and she had hurt him. It was what she was expecting after all. 

“Killian, I need to tell you something.” Emma had been pacing for the last twenty minutes. She was trying to figure out an effective way to break this news to him. It was terrible news and she didn’t want to do it, but she couldn’t lie to him any longer.

“What is it, Love?” He tilted his head. He noticed the way her hand cradled her lower back and he thought she was about to tell him something about the baby. “Do I need to call an ambulance? Is it the lad?”

“No, Killian, no.” Emma raised a hand. “Can we both just sit,” Emma suggested as she led him into the living room.

“Is everything alright then?” He watched the way she bit her lip. She was nervous that much he could tell.

“Killian, I just want you to know that I love you.” Emma stopped and licked her lips. She played with the ring on her finger, her wedding ring, before looking over to him. This was not how she wanted to continue the conversation. “I, during Henry’s graduation trip, there was a night in Philadelphia where I made the biggest mistake of my life. I was drunk, and I wasn’t thinking.” Emma paused to see if he was following and he most certainly was. The look on his face wasn’t curiosity though, it was almost as if he knew what she was going to say.

“I slept with Regina that night.” Emma blurt out. “I’m incredibly sorry and I know that it was stupid of me and I deserve for you to be angry and for you to yell and shout. I just couldn’t lie to you any longer.”

“How long were you going to keep this from me?” Killian’s voice was dangerously low and calm. “I knew there was always somethin’ between you two. Just didn’t think it was going to continue once we were wed.”

“What?” Emma’s brow arched. “Killian, no, it was only the one-time. It’s a huge mistake that has been tearing me apart. I tried to stay away from her and I want to make things right between us, but I needed you to know the truth. I just…”

She knew what she was about to say next would blow his mind.

“I’ve been questioning the paternity of the baby. I didn’t know it was possible, but I realized that it would be cruel of me to lie to you when there’s a chance that Hope might not be yours.” It was the first time she’d used their daughter’s chosen name. It was one they had come up with together after a night searching through the baby book. She couldn’t be happy about it right now when she saw the look cross her husband’s face.

Without another word he stood and headed for the door but was stopped when he felt Emma’s hands wrap around his forearm. He looked back at her with fire in his eyes.

“We promised we wouldn’t run from each other. We can work this out, Killian. Just please don’t leave.” She was begging him. Emma never begged but, in this moment, she was. She had royally fucked up and it was apparent that she was losing her family.

“Swan, I love you. You’re supposed to be my wife but right now I can’t look at you as anything more.” Killian growled. Yanking his arm away, he backed her into a wall and raised his hand as if he would slap her. “I just, I hate you right about now. There’s not a single fiber in my being that feels any sort of forgiveness for you. I’ve been a fool.”

“Killian,” Emma cried. This time there were no hormones to blame. It was all her. She watched his hand move back to his side and she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. He would never hit her, somewhere deep down she knew that, but she couldn’t help but be fearful.

“I’m leaving. Do not follow me.” He said with finality. She watched him walk away and out of the house; possibly out of her life with a slam of the door.

That was just two hours ago. She ended up a bawling mess on her hardwood floors when she began to feel the contractions full force. She was alone and didn’t know where her phone was, but she needed to get to it. She stood on shaky legs only to feel a sharp pain shoot through her abdomen sending her right back down to the ground. New tears pricked her eyes as she rubbed her belly to try and alleviate the aches of her oncoming childbirth.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be happy and excited. She should be surrounded by family and doctors screaming orders for her to “Push.” Instead, she was here alone and hurting. Every decision she had made for the past year had lead up to this moment. Closing her eyes, Emma bared down, she could feel the sweat dripping from her brow as she tried to breathe through another contraction. Every Lamaze class she had taken was proving to be pointless when she was panicking. 

“I’m so sorry Hope.” Emma cried. “I know that I really messed up.” Emma continued. If the warm liquid seeping through her jeans were any indication, her water had just broken, and this labor was going to be intense. Taking a long deep breath through her nose, Emma tried to use any source of magic she had to poof herself to the hospital. When that wasn’t working she finally tried to use her phone which appeared to no avail. She truly was on her own.

As she moved to make herself a little more comfortable, Emma tried to think happy thoughts. How excited Henry would be or how much she would love her baby. If her family was truly torn apart, then she would love her child as much as she could on her own. She couldn’t expect for Killian to take care of a child that wasn’t his. She couldn’t expect him to forgive her either. It was unfair of her to think that he would. Not when the wounds were freshly opened, and he hadn’t had time to process.

“Looks like it’s just you and me kid.” Emma used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her brow. She was getting hotter by the minute and nothing was cooling her down. She would give the world to have ice chips and a cold towel pressed again her forehead. Emma sat up a little taller as a particularly hard contraction flew through her she couldn’t help but let out a scream as her body handled the pain as best as it could. Through the agony her eyes were closed, and she didn’t see the light purple smoke that engulfed her. She didn’t notice that the surface under her clenched hands had changed from the hard and cold surface of her foyer floor to a nice and warm bed.

She screamed and cried out startling the other occupant of the room. Finally opening her eyes, Emma could see the familiar face that she had wanted to see.

“Emma?” Regina questioned as she rushed over to her side. “How are you?”

“I don’t know, god I wish I did, but I’m in so much pain and I don’t think we really have time for questions.” Emma grit out. There was only one explanation for how Emma had appeared in this realm, but Regina wasn’t going to mention in while the other woman was clearly in labor.

She jumped into action as quickly as she could as she helped Emma into more comfortable clothes. She ignored the fact that her bed was ruined and decided that she would deal with it later.

“Emma, I need to go ahead and check before calling a doctor.” Regina’s fingers fiddled with the end of Emma’s large t-shirt. It was the only thing that was even remotely suitable for childbirth. Emma nodded and leaned back against the mountain of pillows. She didn’t care if Regina saw her vagina or whatever other mess was happening down there. She thanked the heavens that Regina jumped into action and didn’t ask questions. She didn’t truly have time for questions if Emma was as far in labor as the thought she was.

“Mom is everything okay?” Henry called through her chambers door. He’d been alerted by their guards that there was screaming coming from Regina’s room. It was per Regina’s request that they didn’t burst during any circumstances. She was powerful and could defend herself. Everyone knew it.

“Henry, please come in,” Regina answered him as best she could over Emma’s scream.

“Whoa, Mom, how is she here?” Henry rushed to her bedside. “What’s happening? Is she in labor? Oh my god, we n-need a doctor? Somebody call a doctor!”

Rolling her eyes at her son’s rambling, Regina clapped her hands to quiet him. He was more nervous than Emma seemed to be, and she was the one having the baby. Under different circumstances, Emma would have laughed at how their grown son stood at attention listening to Regina’s every command. No matter how old he was his parents still had a hold over him. She too watched with rapt attention as Regina waved her hand. In mere seconds there was a midwife at her side along with a few handmaids.

“Please help her, she’s in labor.” Regina simply explained. Taking her word for it, everyone moved into action. They had seen Regina around Tiana’s castle before and didn’t question her commands either. She was always so kind to them, especially during Jacinda’s labor.

“Henry, I need to stay focused.” Regina grabbed his arm. “I don’t know how or why she’s here, but she needs our help. We can ask questions later when your mother and baby sister are healthy and safe.”

Henry nodded and rushed to Regina’s bath chambers so to fetch a bucket of water. Regina came to stand by Emma’s side and hold her hand. It was time to push. Regina knew despite their differences that Emma shouldn’t be alone during this time.

“You’re going to be just fine, Emma.” Regina whispered into her ear. She needed the sweet encouragements. Emma shook her head because she couldn’t, in fact, handle the pain.

“Regina, I told him.” Emma found herself saying. “I told him everything about what happened, and he walked out. I don’t know where he went or if he’s coming back but I need you. I know it’s unfair of me but please, I need you.” Emma begged through her tears. With her hair sticking to her forehead, and beads of sweat running down her face, Emma looked terrified and vulnerable.

“Emma, I’m not leaving,” Regina promised just as Henry approached them with a cool towel to press against Emma’s head. She moaned in relief at the comforting touch from her son. Regina simply held her hand, biting her own lip in nervousness as the midwife announced that the baby was crowning. Somewhere deep inside Regina prayed that the baby would be hers. She was being selfish, and she didn’t care. It had been on her mind heavily in the past few months and she knew what she wanted.

“Okay give me one long push on three.” The midwife, Lyra, broke through her train of thought.

Regina swept the hair from Emma’s face and whispered to her that she could do it. Emma was ready to see her baby. She lifted so that she could prepare for the push and let out a bloodcurdling scream. Henry knew it all too well as he had recently gone through the same thing with Jacinda.

Before they knew it, little Hope entered the world with a scream of her own. Emma sat back against the pillows exhaustedly. Her girl was finally here and had healthy lungs from the sound of it.

“You did so well, Mom.” Henry kissed her head. Emma could only give a small smile in return as she waited patiently for her baby to be brought to her. Meanwhile, Regina watched the midwife like a hawk as they cleaned the tiny baby off and laid her on Emma’s chest. There was a collective gasp at how beautiful she was. She was so pink and new. Her tiny features scrunched up as her cries died down at being placed onto her mother’s chest. Emma cried as she looked down at the newborn. After nine long months, she was finally here, and she was perfect.

“She’s perfect.” Emma lifted her hand to lay on the baby’s back. It was a comforting touch as the babe stopped moving to listen to Emma’s voice. “Hope Margaret Swan-Jones.” Emma voiced her name without remembering exactly who was standing next to her. She was too wrapped up in her baby to realize just exactly how much her reveal affected the occupants of the room.

That’s when Regina’s world came crashing down. The baby’s name registered in her head and she couldn’t help but feel dread. Dread at the fact that Emma still hadn’t considered where the little baby against her chest was Regina’s.

“I think she might be hungry,” Regina suggested. Truly it was just a way to leave the room so that she could get some fresh air. Anything to keep from breaking down.

“I’ll go and tell everyone what’s been going on.” Henry agreed as he gave Emma a final kiss to her head. “She’s beautiful, Mom.” He smiled. Even though it was about twenty years too late, Henry was happy to be an older brother. The stories he would tell her once she was old enough was endless. Regina went to follow Henry out of the room leaving Emma with the staff but was stopped by a soft voice saying her name.

“Regina, will you stay?” Emma asked. She really didn’t want to be alone right now.

“Of course.” Regina blinked back tears only to replace them with a smile. She couldn’t tell if Emma noticed and she really didn’t care. Regina sat on the bed beside Emma as Lyra showed her how to get Hope to latch on. It wasn’t a complicated process, but it was new, and Emma struggled. Finally, almost like magic, Hope latch on and suckled as if there was no tomorrow. Avoiding her gaze until then, Regina’s eyes landed on Emma as she hissed.

“It’s a little uncomfortable,” Emma said. She didn’t want to address the way Regina looked at them. Through all she had done and said to her, Regina looked at her with so much love and adoration. She let her fingers sift through blonde wisps on Hope’s head. She was so tiny. Emma couldn’t stop thinking about how perfect this moment was.

“She’s beautiful.” Regina tried her best to keep her voice from trembling. She would be damned if she showed any emotion now. It wasn’t the time or place for her to rehash old feelings.

“She is,” Emma said tiredly. Neither woman spoke. The only sounds were Hope’s grunts and suckles as she fell asleep in her mother’s arms. “I can’t believe she’s mine.” Emma wiped tears from her eyes. This moment was so surreal, and she couldn’t believe that she was living it.

“Yeah,” Regina agreed. She could only watch mother and daughter bond until Hope finally pulled away from Emma’s breast. That was when one of the handmaids placed the tiny babe into a bassinet that neither of them had realized was brought in.

“I’m going to let you get some rest.” Regina finally said once everyone else had exited the room. “We can talk later about everything but for now you need to rest.”

Emma nodded. She was already half asleep before Regina left the room. She had forgotten how exhausting childbirth could be. Regina was aware that she couldn’t go back inside of her own bedchambers, so she walked until she found a random empty room. She pressed the door shut with a soft click before she slid down against it. Her tears came, and she sobbed openly as she waved a hand. She needed to cry in peace and a soundproofing spell would help with that.

She cried for the love she had lost, for the love that was still alive but was out of her reach, for a child that would never be hers. Emma’s mind was clearly made up. Despite whatever circumstances, Emma still wanted to be with Hook. Thinking that she had been over her, Emma literally showing up at her feet shook her to the core. Regina needed time.

                                                                                                     ***

“So, you think your mom’s baby is your other mom’s?” Jacinda asked her husband as he paced their bedroom floor. Lucy was in her crib napping just a few feet away, so they needed to stay as quiet as they could.

“I do.” Henry scratched the back of his head. “That doesn’t sound crazy, does it? I mean clearly, something happened between them. That much is apparent even if I was blind. I know that the baby looks kind of like Regina even with the small glimpse I got of her. Maybe I’m being crazy. I mean is something like that even possible?”

“It would be wild,” Jacinda shrugged. “I mean from everything you’ve said they have a complicated history. We’ve seen stranger things happen.”

“I know I can’t ask them outright, but I think I have an idea.” Henry grinned.

“Oh no, not one of your operations. Do you think that’s appropriate for this?” Jacinda cringed. She knew Henry loved his operations, but things could get messy.

“No, not really an operation but a magical paternity test.” Henry shook his head. “I just would need a strand of hair from Hope and then my mom’s.”

“Good luck with that,” Jacinda told him. She seriously wanted to see how he would pull this off.

                                                                                                ****

“Don’t cry little one,” Regina scooped Hope into her arms. To check up on Emma she had found that baby Hope was awake and fussy. Deciding not to wake her friend, Regina figured that she could keep the baby calm until Emma woke up. She didn’t know if it was a promising idea, but she couldn’t stay away. 

Hope fidgeted in her arms but otherwise stayed quiet. Her eyes never opened as she screwed up her face in preparation to cry.

“Oh, you’re not going to cry, are you?” Regina questioned and Hope’s little face relaxed as she listened to Regina’s soothing voice. “Your older brother Henry used to cry a lot when he was your age. I would become frustrated and then he showed me how to love. The rest is history.” Regina kept her voice low as she changed Hope’s cloth diaper. They weren’t really in a realm where disposables could be used. Hope kicked her tiny feet and finally opened her eyes for a brief second only to blink and close them again due to the harsh light. Regina’s heart burst as she saw the mocha brown eyes looking back at her. Everything within her was telling her that this was her baby. Even after hours of being in the world, Hope’s skin had gotten darker, darker than either Hook’s or Emma’s was. She didn’t want to continue torturing herself and guessed that baby’s looks could change over time. Henry’s did.

“You’re a very good girl.” Regina supported the baby’s neck as she sat in a nearby chair. It wasn’t a rocking chair, but she was doing the best she could to keep her calm. “Very beautiful and tiny.” Regina tapped Hope’s tiny hand and was shocked by the magic that emanated from her. It was a light purple, almost violet, and it felt much like her own. She could ignore the clues all she wanted but she couldn’t ignore that. Very rarely were children born with magic so powerful. She herself had not been able to control it until she was much older. “So, you’re the one I’ve been feeling all those times.” Regina referenced to the times she’d been hit with the light magical aura when around Emma.

“Hey,” Emma called to them. She’d been awake for a few minutes before she decided to make it known. It was nice to see Regina.

“Oh, Emma, Hi.” Regina looked over to the tired mother. “We were just talking about magic.” Regina took careful steps to sit next to Emma against the pillows. Emma sat up to lean against Regina as they watched Hope in fascination. She wasn’t doing much but it was fascinating all the same.

“She’s so small.” Emma rubbed a tiny foot against her fingers. “I don’t think Henry was this tiny.”

“He was.” Regina reminisced. “Seems even tinier when you’re trying to give them their first bath and they won’t stop wiggling.”

Emma snorted. Neither of them addressed the closeness that they felt in this moment. It was such a serene feeling.

“Emma, where’s Hook?” Regina asked.

“I told him everything.” She bit her lip. “About that night in Philadelphia. About Hope possibly being your baby.”

“Emma,” Regina gasped. “There’s no way we can possibly find that out.”

“I know.” Emma shook her head. “But she looks like you and I would be stupid not to admit that. I just, I don’t know if he will take me back if it were true.”

Regina nodded but didn’t respond. She looked back down to Hope and thought about the possibilities of their future. She didn’t know what it would hold.


	9. Chapter 9

“What are you up to?” Regina asked her son two days later. Despite his frequent visits to check on Emma and Hope, he had been avoiding her for the past few days. He had been in and out of the library for the past three days and she knew something was up. Nothing got by her when it came to Henry. It was high time she confronted him about his sneakiness. No matter what age he was he was not very subtle.

“Nothing, just some reading.” Henry shrugged not knowing that the pitch in his voice changed.

“Henry Daniel Mills,” Regina raised a brow.

He was lying, and she knew it. Giving her best stern mom face she demanded that he confess what was going on.

“Okay, you got me.” Henry sighed. “I’m reading up on magical paternity tests.”

“Henry,” Regina wasn’t exactly disappointed. She just didn’t think he should be doing it. “How do you know?”

“Mom, even at three days old Hope looks like you.” Henry shrugged. Gesturing to the books, he showed her what he was doing. “I know neither of you will admit it, but something happened between you. Wouldn’t you like to know whether or not she’s your baby?”

“I don’t know if that would be best for any of us.” Regina began. She wanted to know. Lord knows she needed to know, but what did that mean for Emma? “But I don’t think I can live the rest of my life knowing I have a baby out there.”

“Which is why I’ve been doing research,” Henry shoved a book in front of her. “We just need strands of hair from each of you and a small potion that you can make. Voila, magical paternity test.”

“It seems easy.” Regina read the small passage about magical paternities. There wasn’t much as it wasn’t common for magic to be used in this way. She didn’t even know if it was going to work. “I don’t know about this Henry,” Regina said. It was anxiety speaking for her. She didn’t know if she could survive another heartbreak.

“I can convince Emma to do it.” Henry tried. “I know she hasn’t been in contact with Hook, but this is just as good as any. You’re here and we could do it on you and Hope.”

Regina closed the book with a sigh and looked over to her son. He looked at her with such determination and love. If Hope turned out to be hers, she would be ecstatic, if Hope turned out not to be hers then her world would come crashing down. She wasn’t sure she was ready for this reality to hit her. It wasn’t easy, but she needed to know, they all did.

“Okay, okay, but you’re in charge of all of this.” Regina looked down towards the closed book again. Agreeing to this would surely change her world forever.

Henry nodded before taking the book into his own hands. He needed to do a little more research. Regina set off to do a bit of searching on her own as she went to find a magic bean. She had a feeling they would be portal jumping soon.

                                                                                ***

Emma had been moved to her own chambers for the time being. They didn’t know when she would able to portal jump back to Storybrooke, but it would at least be another few days. Hope was too young to be traveling through realms. Now that Hope was a few days old it was finally setting in that she had a newborn. After meeting Lucy, she had been calmer about taking care of her own infant. Besides the fact that all Hope did was eat, sleep, and poop, Emma was getting the hang of this whole parenting thing. Thanks to Regina’s baby book for Henry, she was able to remember what he was like as a kid. She hoped that she didn’t miss any of Hope’s milestones as she watched her baby sleep.

The past few days she didn’t have time to think about Hook and where he was. She did briefly but Hope needed her attention more than anything.

Regina had come in to check on her and the baby from time to time, but their interactions were limited. She still didn’t understand how she had been able to teleport to this realm, but they figured it was Hope’s magic. Magic that was strong despite her being an infant. Emma crossed the room to watch her daughter sleep.  She still couldn’t believe that she had a daughter. As Hope’s chest rose and fell, Emma felt her heart soar. She had two children. One of her children was a grown man with a family of his own. Lucy was gorgeous and such a happy baby. She seemed a lot like Henry and even had some of his familiar facial expressions.

In the coming months, Emma only hoped that they would be able to visit each other. She wanted Hope to grow up knowing her brother and his family. Emma didn’t have a lot of family growing up, so it had come to mean a lot to her. She wanted Hope to live a happy childhood. She would do everything in her power to give it to her.

There was a knock at her door and Emma rushed to answer it.  She had just gotten Hope to sleep and wanted to enjoy the peace. Expecting to see Regina, Emma tried to hide her disappointment at seeing Henry.

“Oh, Hi, what’s up?”

“Geez, you could be a bit more enthusiastic.” Henry rolled his eyes. Emma shoved him playfully. “Can I talk to you?”

“Yeah sure,” Emma gestured to the hallway. There was no way she was going to wake her sleeping baby.

“It’s about Hope,” Henry began. “I know that there’s a possibility that she might be mom’s baby. Which means mom is the other mother or father, whatever. I found a potion it’s rare and sometimes It doesn’t work, but I think it would be beneficial to perform the test. It would put a lot of worrying to rest.”

For a second Emma didn’t respond. She was trying to digest the information that her son had given her. Did she really want to know who the other parent of her baby was? Of course. Did she feel apprehensive about it? Of course. She acknowledged that she had made a huge mistake and now was her chance to fix it and get things on track.

“Will it hurt her?” She asked finally.

“No, we only need a strand of her hair. Which I can clip, and it will grow back.” Henry gestured to the potion bottle.

“Can we do it now? While she’s asleep?” Emma opened the door to her bedchambers. The heavy door was annoying, and she still wasn’t used to living in a castle. Imagining life as a princess was just impossible. Their time in the Wish Realm had been enough of an experience for her.

“Great, I’ll do it quickly and then you guys can meet me in the library.” Henry approached Hope. She was sleeping so peacefully. He quickly clipped a strand of hair from her head as gently as he could. She was so tiny, and he didn’t want to hurt her. She didn’t even flinch as he put the hair inside of a glass bottle and turned to Emma. “See you in twenty?”

Emma looked over to Hope and then nodded. It was now or never.

                                                                                ***

“So how does this work?” Regina asked Henry as she gave him a strand of her own hair. It had grown so long in the coming months and she wouldn’t miss it. She watched with rapt attention as he mixed the potion just right. Emma was beside her holding a now awake Hope. She was so content in her mother’s arms as she blinked at the bright lights around her. She was attentive and excited by the new things she saw. Her tiny grunts brought them to the realization that this paternity test would change them.

“All I have to do is drop them into the potion,” Henry took each strand of hair and held them above the water. “If you are the mother the potion should start to glow a green color. If not, then it will glow red. Whoever invented it had the consumer in mind. Sounds easy enough right?” He raises a brow to make sure that both of his mothers were still on board. He could see the worry on both of their faces as he dropped the strands into the cauldron. It wasn’t every day he was able to perform magic and he had needed a bunch of help from Regina.

They all waited patiently and patiently until they realized nothing was happening. The potion had not reacted to either hair. Then as if by force, the potion glowed a slight reddish green. Emma leaned a little closer to the pot to look inside. Regina squinted to see just what was happening.

“It didn’t work.” Henry was confused. He had done every step right and went over the instructions more than once. Looking into the book at the paragraph again he sighed. “I’m sorry guys, I really thought it would work.” He continued to flip through the pages while looking back down to the cauldron.

“No, it’s fine,” Regina responded all too quickly. “Maybe it’s just not meant to be.”

“But what does that mean?” Emma shifted Hope in her arms. Though she weighted nothing she was getting to be a little heavy.

“It means that you should go back to Hook and try to mend your marriage,” Regina said. She saw the look on Emma’s face and raised a hand to stop her from speaking. “I know I should be against it. Emma, to be frank, it’s very clear that you need to take care of your marriage. Be it in the best interest of your daughter, she needs a stable and untroubled home.”

Regina was saying something that she had thought long and hard on. There was no other way for them to find out in this world. If Hope was truly hers then life would work out in her favor. Right now, she was tired, and she was hurt. She wanted to fight for the sweet infant in Emma’s arms. She wanted to take her and love her and hold her. But there was no more fight left in her. Was she giving up on Hope? No. But this test gave her all the confirmation she needed. Life was more complicated than a simple potion. Maybe they needed modern medicine but that would involve traveling to Storybrooke. It was high time she paid her home a visit.

“We could take a test back in Storybrooke,” Regina licked her lips. “If she really is mine then we can arrange something. I don’t know how we would work it out in two realms, but we would make something work.”

“So that’s it? you’ve decided?” Emma questioned. “We’re not even going to talk about this?”

“Talk about what, Emma?” Regina was exasperated. “That baby in your arms deserves so much more than either of us can give her. But she has you, Emma. I will not ever give up on a child that is mine, but this entire situation has been a mess. I will come back to Storybrooke to take the test and then after that, I don’t know.” Regina took one last look at them before exiting the room.

Emma looked back at Henry and he could offer no explanation.

“I guess she’s pretty hurt,” Henry shrugged. “She’s right that this situation is a mess. I can tell Mom feels a lot for you and she’s trying to keep her distance. I think it’s best for you to just let it be for now.”

Emma watched as he too left the room. She was now alone with Hope who was still wiggling in her arms.  
               

                                                                                ****

Regina didn’t know what possessed her to do it, but she did. After that paternity test, she’d rushed to her stash of grown magical beans and opened a portal. She knew they were precious but after having over 9 months to grow them they had more than enough for her to do what she was about to do. Once she was finally standing on Main Street in Storybrooke she rushed to the one place where she knew Hook would be, The PUB. It had been a while since she’d been in there and it was all the same. From the cancerous smoke to the loud music. She spotted him sitting at the bar nursing a drink and halfway drunk off his ass.

“Guyliner, we need to talk and now.” Regina clapped her hand against his shoulders. She tried to cover her smirk as he flinched from the contact. She still had it.

“I don’t want to talk about anything’ with you.” He shrugged her hand away and downed his drink. “I’m surprised you’re not fucking my wife right now or did you come back just to rub it in my face.” He’d spoken a little too loud and gained the curious gazes of a few patrons. It wasn’t every day that they say Captain Hook and the former Mayor of Storybrooke arguing.

“Hook now is not the time for your self-pity you are going to listen to what I have to say,” Regina began only for him to get up and walk away on unsteady legs.

“Yeah well, I don’t want to talk.” He said over his shoulder before heading for the bathroom. Regina followed him in and locked the door behind her. “What the hell!”

“Emma has given birth and I know you’re aware that she hasn’t been here,” Regina growled. “Now I don’t know if that’s because you’re angry about what’s happened because you’re entitled to that but don’t abandon the child. She’s innocent in all of this.”

Regina’s words seemed to sober him as he stared at her wide-eyed.

“For all we know that baby isn’t even mine.” Hook rolled his eyes. He was clearly heartbroken. “I can’t believe I’m getting the news from the Evil Queen of all people. I could kill you where you stand right now.”

Regina wanted to see him try but she had no time for his games. She wanted to get her point across and then go. She ignored the constant banging on the door as she looked into his eyes. She could tell that he was truly hurt and for all that she was sorry. Things weren’t supposed to turn out how they did.

“Now I will be leaving back to my realm tomorrow morning as Hope is still too small to travel.” She said. “If you would like to come and meet her you can. I’ll be leaving at 12 sharp.” Regina turned to rip open the door and the person banging step back in confusion. He looked over to Hook and then back to Regina.

“Get a room.” He pushed past them so that he could go and release himself.

Regina poofed herself to Emma’s home with a wave of her finger. She needed to pack a few things for both Emma and Hope even though the other woman didn’t even know that she was here. It felt weird to be in her home without her. She first came to the kitchen where she was met with people that she wasn’t expecting. This day was just getting better and better.

“Regina, oh my god, what are you doing here?” Snow asked in a panic. “Is Emma with you?”

“Is she okay? Is the baby okay?” David demanded. She knew that their reactions were warranted. Their pregnant daughter had disappeared and hadn’t contacted them in days.

“Emma is fine,” Regina assured them. “She and Hope are doing well. She is a beautiful baby girl. 7 pounds and 8 ounces.”

“So, she had the baby?” Snow cried. “Oh dear, where are they?”

“They are in the other realm with Henry,” Regina explained. “Somehow Emma or Hope was able to teleport them to me. Which is still a bit unclear how or why, but the important part is that they’re okay.”

Snow nodded in agreement as she clutched David’s hands. “When can we see them? What is she like? Does she look like Emma or Hook? When can they come home?”

Regina was hit with question after question that she didn’t know if she wanted to answer. So, she decided to go with the easiest questions first before diving into their complicated situation.

“She is a beautiful girl with a head full of hair. I think it’s still too early to tell who exactly she looks like.” She was lying. “It will be a few days yet before they can come home to Storybrooke, but I promise you that they are just fine.”

“You said she has magic?” David asked.

“Yes, she’s a very powerful baby.” Regina continued where she left off. “Like I said they’re not able to come home yet but when they do, I’m sure you will be one of the first to see her.”

“Okay good,” Snow smiled at that. She hugged David in excitement. “Anyways, how have you been Regina it’s been so long since we saw you.”

“I’ve been good.” She returned the sudden hug from Snow. “I’ve been getting through life.”

“When Emma told me you guys had been having some problems I was worried that you weren’t friends anymore.” Snow shook her head. “How ridiculous does that sound?”

“I-it does sound pretty ridiculous.” Regina nodded. It wasn’t her business to delve into Emma’s personal life and that was something for her to handle when she was back.

“Let’s catch up, gush to us about your granddaughter.” David invited her to get comfortable. She might as well make the most of it while she was there. So, for the rest of that night, they caught up. Once Snow and David left, Regina traveled to the second floor of Emma’s home in search for the baby’s nursery. She felt like she was invading her friend’s privacy. Regina pushed open a door that she assumed was the nursery and blindly searched for the light switch. Upon turning it on she gasped. The soft neutral colors of the room seemed so much like Emma and she fell in love.

The walls were painted a beige with a brown giraffe donning the wall closest to the that was also brown. The blankets hanging over well all gender-neutral colors and she ran her fingertips along the blankets and immediately felt how plus they were. Hope was in huge white letters above the white dresser and she snapped her fingers to tell herself to get to the task at hand.

She made quick work of grabbing everything she had in mind before leaving the house. Returning to her own home on Mifflin street was bittersweet. She missed the beautiful big mansion. From her white door down to the creaky front step that she kept forgetting to get fixed. It was an imperfection that she hadn’t bothered with and probably never would. There was just no time for it.

For the first time in a while, she fell asleep against her own sheets. It felt so good to be home in a place where she could truly be herself. She felt her emotions and thoughts hitting her full force as she analyzed how the rest of her life would go. Unpredictable circumstances made it hard for her to understand just what was going to happen. Thus far, she had been hanging on by a string. There was no way she could tell what the results of that paternity test were going to be. Everything was so complicated, and she needed to push her feelings for Emma aside and come back to reality.

What crushed her the most was that there was a little baby girl involved. She was tiny, gorgeous, and perfect. She was everything Regina had dreamed of and it was hurting her to know that there was a chance she was not hers. She could just imagine holding Hope’s hand as she grew bigger and bigger. Teaching her all the things she had taught Henry when he was the same age. Would she be able to do that if she found out Hope wasn’t hers? Could she really continue to be in Emma’s life after this? Regina fell into a fitful sleep with thoughts taking over every part of her mind.                                          

                                                                                                      ****

The next morning Hook was knocking at her door right on time. She hadn’t expected him to show up. He was sober and dressed in his usual attire of too much leather. Running his hand through his hair, he stood awkwardly.

“Are you ready?” She asked as they stepped into her backyard. Opening a portal wasn’t easy and she needed as much room.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He muttered. She threw the magic bean into the air and called for her magic through her palms. Once it was activated she took a step and let him follow her. They were transported to an empty library on the east wing of Tiana’s castle. Regina gave Hook simple directions of where Emma would be, and she disappeared with a wave of her hand. She refused to witness their reunion or argument or anything regarding the two of them together. Her heart nor her stomach could take it.

She instead showed up in front of Drizella’s home. Rarely did Victoria ever know she was working with Regina and she knew it was probably because the other witch was an amateur. She didn’t hold a candle to Regina’s magic and they both knew it. So, Regina would put her time and energy into teaching Drizella magic in exchange for a listening ear. Well, at least half the time the girl listened. She reminded her of a certain blonde that had trouble with her magic not too long ago. Regina shook her head as she noted everything reminded her of Emma these days. She couldn’t keep her off her mind.

“Wow, you look rough.” Drizella commented on Regina’s current state. To the untrained eye Regina looked calm, cool, and collected. Not to people who knew her. After spending the last six months under Regina’s supervision, Drizella had come to know her teacher. She was her one and only friend, so she took it upon herself to know her well.

“Shut it, Spunky.” Regina used the nickname that she called Drizella on the rare occasion. The younger woman was like a little sister to her and she could admit that she did enjoy their time together.

“No, Regina, what’s wrong?” Drizella dragged her into her private garden. It’s where she came to think as being around the flowers and nature was incredibly soothing. It being the only thing that her mother allowed her to have it was incredibly soothing. She forced Regina to sit on a bench and sat beside her. “Your forehead vein only pops out on few occasions; when you’re pissed, when you’re stressed or when you’re tired. So, which one is it?”

Regina pretended to be surprised before deflating with a sigh. Drizella wasn’t going to let it go as she was annoying in that way.

“Emma and the baby are here.” Regina could see the shock on her friend’s face and she rolled her eyes at the dramatic eye drop.

“What? When? How? Why are you here then isn’t that what you wanted?” Drizella fired off questioned after question. She was intrigued, and she needed answers now.

“Transport or poofing. She gave birth right in front of me.” Regina ran a shaky hand through her hair. She didn’t want to cry. She refused to cry. “Her husband is here. The damned pirate. As much as I hate him, I can’t go back to my old ways of lying and scheming. It’s just not right.”

“Well it’s a good thing you have me then?” Drizella rubbed her hands mischievously.

“You will absolutely not meddle, Drizella.” Regina warned her. “I have enough on my plate and I don’t need to be babysitting you while I’m at it.”

“Fine.” Drizella held her hands up in mock surrender. There was a silence before she bumped her shoulders against Regina’s. “You got to admit that you’ve wanted to turn him into a toad once or twice.”

Regina laughed but didn’t admit to a thing. She wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction.

                                                                                ***

“Emma?” Hook pushed open the door to Emma’s temporary bedchambers. It had taken him a while to find Emma’s room when in fact he didn’t know if he truly wanted to find it. He found her looking out of her window sitting upon a window seat. She was deep in thought and didn’t hear him the first time he called her name and only became aware of his presence from the hook that laid gently against her leg.

“Killian,” She jumped to her feet. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see the lad,” He said firmly. He needed her to know that he would not be taking her back. Her lying and cheating was unforgivable.

“Oh, of course,” Emma frowned. “How did you get here?”

“None of that really matters,” He huffed. Now that he was here in front of her he found that he didn’t really want to be in the same room as her.

“Right,” Emma nodded. It was weird to see how cold he was being towards her. She brought his treatment onto herself, but it still hurt nonetheless. “She’s right over here.” She led him over to where Hope was sleeping in her borrowed bassinet. She was sleeping peacefully in her swaddle blankets.

Hook scanned her features to see any ounce of resemblance between the baby and himself and found none. He gripped the bassinet in sadness and studied her for a few moments longer. Now that he was here and looking at her, he felt his anger melt away. This situation was messy, and it was heartbreaking. He didn’t know what to do. Looking over to Emma, he sighed and turned to fully face her.

“How have you been?’ Emma asked and immediately wanted to punch herself. How else would he be? Just a few short days ago she had confessed to him.

“Better,” He shrugged. Now that he knew what she had done he just couldn’t look at her the same. She was a cheater. She was a liar. She was his wife and he loved her. He just didn’t know if he could forgive her. As many times as, the thought had run through his mind it just didn’t seem possible. “Are you okay? After the child birth and all?” He glanced back down to Hope and then back to Emma.

“I’m fine. The doctor says I’m healing fine.” She chose to keep the part out about Regina helping her through the birth.

Hook nodded. He looked her up and down before talking.

“I’m going to be honest with you. Right about now I can’t even stand to look at you,” He watched her squirm before he continued. “I thought you were better than this. The only reason I want to even take you back is because I don’t want Hope to grow up without a father. Which is why I’ll come home. On one condition…”

Emma listened for whatever his next words will be.

“You stay away from Regina and you never mention her again.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

Upon Hook’s request, Emma had stayed away from Regina as much as she could. She wanted to mend her marriage. What was she supposed to do say no? If Regina had noticed she didn’t comment even after they had come back to Storybrooke two weeks ago. They had rushed to take the paternity test and were still waiting for the results of the tests. In the meantime, Emma had been pretty much-taking care of Hope on her own. With the exceptions of her parents’ frequent visits, Emma was finding it hard juggling a baby and trying to mend her marriage. At least she was trying. She didn’t want to pretend like nothing was happening when there was clearly so much that Killian was still holding against her.

She was still in constant pain from her body healing from birth and if she didn’t show it he would never know. Not that he cared. He hadn’t even held Hope in a week. She wondered if he knew that she noticed. She didn’t want to bring it up in fear of causing a fight. They had been having a lot of those these days. One minute they were fine and the next he would snap at her for no apparent reason. Emma couldn’t say she was handling it, but she was vulnerable and lacking self-confidence. She couldn’t turn the tables on him when she was the one that ruined their marriage.

Emma wrestled herself out of bed at 3:15 am just like she did every night. She would hiss in pain at having to move around and then shuffle into Hope’s nursery. She would have preferred for the one-month-old to sleep with her, but Hook couldn’t sleep with her in the room. Emma made quick work of slipping the strap of her tank down as she carried Hope to sit in the rocking chair. Though she hated waking up in the middle of the nights alone, these moments were special to her. Hope was an absolute angel and she fed so well. So, while Hope fed and whimpered against her breast, Emma concentrated on staying awake and rocking the chair.

At this point in time, she was used to not getting enough sleep and had changed her sleep schedule to fit around Hope’s. So far, they were doing well, and Emma had no real complaints. Sure, she wished Hook would help more, but she wasn’t going to ask him to. One day without bickering or arguing was a successful day for her. She knew that there would be a day when they would have to truly discuss what they really needed to but for now, she would leave him alone.

“Your hair is getting longer and curlier,” Emma commented. Using the tips of her toes she rocked the chair. Her sleep filled voice was soothing to the newborn as she looked up at Emma attentively. Emma enjoyed looking into those pretty brown eyes. They were wide and never strayed from her own. “If it’s super curly when you’re older I’m not going to know what to do with it. I barely know how to do my own hair.” Emma snorted. “But Mama will figure it out.” Emma simply talked to Hope until she fell asleep. She stayed with her for a little while longer and simply watched Hope sleep. She wondered what it was like to not have a care in the world.

                                                                                ***

It was Hook’s turn to watch Hope and Emma had prayed for it to be a good day. She had gone to work like normal and did her new five-hour shift. It wasn’t as much as she used to work but it was as much as she could handle right now. Besides, Storybrooke was a quiet town. With her dad patrolling and Dorothy picking up a few hours the police station was fine without her. Usually, Emma would rush home after work and come into the door where she would relieve Hook of his duties. Most days it seemed like he wanted nothing to do with their baby. He would always quickly hand her off and then leave the house as if Emma didn’t exist. But today, today things felt different. When she walked into the door she wasn’t met with Hope’s crying. This time she was met with a frantic Hook flipping cushions upside down.

“Killian, is everything okay?”

“Dammit,” He cursed as he threw the pillow cushion back onto the sofa. “I can’t find her.”

“Who?” Emma questioned. “You can’t find who?”

“Hope, the baby.” He rolled his eyes as she searched inside a closet. Emma couldn’t figure out why she would be in there was Hope was way too young to be playing Hide and Seek.

“Well, where is she?” She asked incredulously. There was no way you lose a 1-month old baby.

“I don’t know.” Hook said. “One minute she was wailing and killing my ears and the next she was surrounded by this light purple magic. Then she was gone.”

“What?” Emma panicked as she too began to search for Hope. “There’s no way she just disappeared.”

“I’ve already checked the entire house and she’s not here.” Hook shrugged. “I don’t know what’s happened.”

As if on cue, Emma received a facetime call from Regina. She reluctantly answered. She walked into a different room so that Hook wouldn’t hear their conversation.

“Listen, Regina, hey now isn’t a really appropriate time.” Emma investigated the phone screen in Regina’s face. She wanted to hurry the other woman off the phone before Hook saw.

“Emma, I’m not calling to chat,” Regina quickly said before she hung up. “I just thought you’d like to know that you’re missing someone.” Regina lowered her camera so that she could show Hope sleeping peacefully in her arms. “She appeared in my arms wailing just ten minutes ago. It took me a while to soothe her, but I needed to call you and tell you that she’s here and safe whenever you’re ready to pick her up.”

“I’m on my way.” Emma nodded. She hung up and grabbed her keys from the hook.

“Where was she?” Hook asked from behind her. She wondered how long he’d been standing there as she froze.

“She’s at Regina’s,” Emma said truthfully. She really didn’t feel like lying to him. Considering his facial expression had gone from worrying to pissed, he wasn’t going for it.

“I’m going with you.” He said firmly. Emma exhaled and didn’t wait for him to follow. This is just what she needed today.

                                                                ***

When Hope appeared into Regina’s arms she had been sitting against her bed watching tv. Not having much to do she had taken to binge-watching all the shows she had missed. She was catching up on Grey’s Anatomy when the infant appeared in her arms. Lucky that she was sitting, Regina had no time to assess the situation as she tried to soothe the upset baby. It didn’t take much time for her to calm the baby down. She’d sang a song  she used to sing to Henry when he was this small. It was amazing to feel the weight of Hope in her arms as she just held her. She hadn’t seen her since the paternity test at the hospital and Regina guessed that Hook had something to do with that. While she was patiently waiting for the test results Regina just wanted it to be over with. She could feel her love grow stronger for the baby she was holding. After calling Emma, Regina had carried Hope down to the living room where they would wait.

“Why were you so fussy?” Regina asked quietly. She didn’t want to disturb the sleeping baby. She dreaded Emma and Hook coming to pick her up. She just wanted to keep her for a little while longer. When she heard the doorbell ring, she stood and held Hope close to her. With one hand she opened the door and was unexpectedly met with both Hook and Emma. Hook didn’t give her time to speak before he was wrestling Hope out of her arms.

“Give me my baby,” He pulled her against him.

“Careful,” Emma warned as she noticed the way his hook was not covered. She’d constantly have to remind him to keep it covered when he was around the baby and clearly, he wasn’t listening.

“Why did you try to take her?” Hook ignored Emma. “What do you get from it?”

“What?” Regina raised a brow. She didn’t particularly like his tone but was conscious of the sleeping baby in his arms. “I didn’t do anything. Your baby showed up on her own free will. She has magic.”

“That’s impossible she’s just an infant she isn’t that strong.” He argued. “You witch! You try to take everything in my life and you can’t have them. My wife or my baby. I won’t let you. All you have is to grow alone and bitter.”

Regina was about to correct him on the fact that Hope could too be her child but saw the way Emma was pleading with her.

“Thank you, Regina, for keeping her safe,” Emma said. “We’re going to take her home now.”

Regina didn’t give either of them time to say anything else before closing her door. She would be damned if she would let herself be threatened the pirate again. With a grimace, she rushed to her office and poured herself a glass of scotch. She downed it and poured herself another. For now, it would numb the pain and the annoyance. She had every right to go and burn that man to the ground. But she wouldn’t no matter how badly she wanted to.

                                                                                ***

“I thought I told you to stay away from her.” Hook set Hope into her bassinet and followed Emma out of the nursery into their room.

“What?” Emma asked much like Regina had said earlier. “I did stay away from her. Not that I need your permission to be around someone.”

“That was our agreement, Emma.” Hook griped. “You stay away from the Evil Queen and we stay married.”

“Yeah because that’s going so well,” Emma muttered. “You don’t even pay attention to me and you haven’t; for a while. I know I did wrong and I know I messed up. But I can’t be the only one trying to fix us.”

“You’re the one that broke us.” Hook reminded her. “I don’t know what you expect of me. You were out being a whore while I was faithful to you. Maybe I should level the playing field. Isn’t that what they say?”

Emma was at a loss for words as she didn’t know what else to say. He’d managed to belittle her and piss her off all in the same breath. Neither of them spoke before she stepped out of the room to go and sit with Hope. She knew his feelings towards her but was still unsure of his feelings towards Hope. She didn’t want him to continue neglecting her daughter. Right now, that’s what Hope was. Her daughter. Not Regina’s, not Hook’s, but Emma’s. She was sick of all the fighting and the arguing and she didn’t know how much more she could take.

Noticing now for the first time the amount of magic that Hope emanated, Emma wondered if she should be binding her powers. At least until she was a little older. She thought about how hard it was to teach her own magic and hone it. She didn’t think she could do that to her daughter. She wanted Hope to know who she was and to continue growing with her magic. She would just have to read up and be prepared.

Which meant every time Hope was left alone with Hook she would magic herself to Regina. No matter where the other woman was Hope would find her way to her. Emma had become used to constantly picking up her child and then having an argument with Hook about something that was out of her control. She was hoping that it was just a phase and that with a little time Hope would stop disappearing. It wasn’t a very safe thing to do but she was a month old and Emma couldn’t exactly teach her rules. She would just hope for the best. 

                                                                                ***

“You look really tired,” Snow took Hope’s car seat and set her close to the couch. She ordered Emma to sit while she walked to the kitchen to make them cups of tea. It had been a long week and all she wanted was to sleep. She knew she wouldn’t have much time to and instead leaned against the couch. She just needed to rest her eyes for a moment.

“Mom, I am,” Emma said. There was no hiding it.

“Here take this,” Snow handed Emma a mug and laughed at Emma jolting awake. “Seriously sweetie, why don’t you lie down after you’re finished drinking your tea and I’ll take care of Hope for a couple of hours.”

“Seriously, I couldn’t ask you to do that.” Emma didn’t want to be a burden.

“Oh, it’s fine, Neal is with your dad and I have a few hours to spare.” Snow suggested. “I’m her grandma and I’m more than happy to help. We both are.”

“Great.” Emma set her mug on the couch and went upstairs to lie down in her old bedroom. Which now it was Neal’s and she would probably be a little uncomfortable in his twin sized bed, but she would make it work. She immediately climbed under the covers and as soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep. She trusted her mom to take loving care of Hope.

                                                                                           ***

“Snow, hey, I thought I would drop off these papers to you.” Regina handed Snow a pile of papers that made her head burst earlier that day. Storybrooke had not yet elected another Mayor and Snow had been balancing between teaching and being a stand-in. They were hoping for a new election soon. Snow only prayed that they wouldn’t be electing Albert Spencer anytime soon.

Regina was just about to leave when she heard a familiar cry behind Snow. She turned back to her friend curiously before glancing over her shoulder.

“Oh Regina, do you mind grabbing her while I go and put these papers somewhere where Neal won’t try and color on them?” Snow ushered her in without hearing her answer. Regina wanted to protest but wasn’t given time. She watched Snow scurry up the stairs and disappearing. Regina looked over to where Hope was in her car seat and sighed. She guessed it wouldn’t be too bad if she helped.

She carefully supported Hope’s head and sat in the lazy boy that she only thought was David’s.

“Hi Pretty Girl,” Regina spotted the diaper bag with already pumped bottles and moved her finger in a come-hither motion. The bag moved towards her and in no time, she was feeding Hope. Besides her frequent and surprising poofing visits, Regina hadn’t been able to spend any time with Hope. She was a beautiful baby that was coming more and more into her looks. She could see that Hope’s skin was peeling and she could tell Emma just what moisturizer was gentle enough for her skin.

“Hey,” Emma’s rough voice interrupted their feeding time as she descended the stairs. The sleep was evident in her voice and Regina couldn’t see her fixing her hair. Emma came to sit on the couch across from them and folded her legs under her.

“I’m sorry, Snow needed to do something, and she hadn’t come back downstairs.” Regina moved to pass Hope to Emma but was stopped.

“You’re fine you can hold her, Regina.” Emma watched the way Regina took such good care of her.

“She’s getting so chunky,” Regina commented wiping a bit of milk from Hope’s mouth.

“I think it’s all the breast milk,” Emma laughed. “She’s always hungry,”

Regina chuckled along with her but never took her eyes off the baby. She rocked as best as she could to keep the baby comfortable. “Henry used to be hungry all of the time too. You don’t even want to know how much I spent on breast milk donations.”

“Henry drank breast milk?”

“Yeah, I researched how important it was for babies. It wasn’t easy to get the donated milk to Storybrooke, but he got it.” Regina pulled the bottle away from the now sleeping Hope’s lips. “I tried my best to give him the world.”

“And you gave him so much more than that,” Emma commented. She watched Regina burp Hope and simply care for her. It was such a change from how Hook handled her.

“How are you?” Regina looked over at Emma for the first time that day. Of course, Regina wouldn’t know as Emma had once again been avoiding her.

“I’ve been good.” Emma lied. She wasn’t going to tell Regina that she was exhausted and lonely, and sick of being puked and peed on. She didn’t know if she was dealing with postpartum depression, but she could sure use a friend. “What about you? Besides having Hope pop in on you whenever she wants what have you been up to?”

“I’ve been good,” Regina replied. She held Hope closer to her and delighted when Emma didn’t comment on it. “I’ve been teaching Drizella a couple of new things with her magic and she’s been doing incredibly well. Trying to get her to adapt to Storybrooke and the modern world has been another story.”

“Drizella? The girl from the other realm? She’s been living with you?” Emma tried to cover up her jealousy as curiosity.

“Yeah, she’s incredible,” Regina smiled. “She wants me to take her to New York on our next outing. You probably haven’t seen her around the house as she’s been binge watching some show on Netflix called Reign. She is in love with it for some reason. I can’t really get into it as it’s completely different to how my life as a royal was.” Regina didn’t notice how the conversation was making Emma uncomfortable. Two things happened at once that stopped them from their comfortable conversation, Snow had come back down the stairs and there had been a knock at the front door. As she wasn’t expecting anyone, Snow quickly answered.

“Oh, Hook, hi Emma’s right in the living room.” Snow knew the entire situation between the three adults but didn’t know what her reaction should be. He stalked into the living room only to be angered at the sight of Regina holding Hope.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” He shouted startling Hope awake. Her wailing set them all on edge as she poofed only to appear in Regina’s arms again. That answered one question for them.

“She’s here because I want her here,” Emma stood angrily. “Killian you can’t keep doing this. I’m not going to continue staying away from Regina just because you asked me to.”

Regina stayed quiet as she stood to console Hope. The girl was afraid, and she probably could feel the tension from her parents fighting. Regina looked over to Snow and the silently communicated.

“I think it’s absolute bullshit, Swan.” Hook said. “How do I know you’re not still sleeping with her?”

“Killian, that’s insane.” Emma rolled her eyes.

“It wasn’t insane enough for it not to happen the first time.” He commented.

“Okay!” Snow stepped in. “I hate to jump into this little fight, but I won’t have you two doing that around Hope. I hope you don’t do it at home either. Now, Killian, I’m going to ask you to leave.”

Killian looked at her daringly before leaving without another word. The slamming of her front door annoyed her even more. Regina said nothing but simply handed Hope to Snow. She could see that Emma was visibly upset but didn’t have the time to console her. Hearing that Emma had agreed to stay away from her hurt her more than she could ever know.

“I’m sorry I have to go.” She simply said and left.

Now Snow was left with Emma and the baby that was now quieter in her arms. Emma sat dejectedly on the couch and ran a shaky hand through her hair. She couldn’t believe what was happening. She was letting herself be thrown about for something she had profusely apologized for and was continuing to pay for. Hook’s increasing anger was warranted but it continued to scare her.

“Honey, I know you’re going to hate me for saying this, but you have to choose, and you need to do it now,” Snow said. “You deserve better and so does your daughter. If you’re going to choose Hook you now must think about how that affects her too. If you’re going to choose Regina again you must think about the same thing. If you’re going to choose yourself then know that your father and I will always be here for you.”

Emma nodded with tears in her eyes. She had to choose but it wasn’t going to be easy.

Later, that night, Emma received a phone call from the lab that would rock her world.

“Are you sure?” She asked repeatedly to which she got the same answer. Dropping her phone onto the bed, she sobbed into her pillow at night at the thought of losing one of the people she loved most.


	11. Chapter 11

“I can’t believe I’ve stayed and endured everything this long,” Regina sipped her apple cider. She was having a catch-up dinner with Zelena and sharing all her secrets. Of course, it was all while eating her favorite lasagna and the salad that Zelena had made. Even after being here for years and working out her kinks, Zelena still could not cook. “It’s been tiring, and I just want it all to be over so that I can move on with my life.”

“Well I for one will be happy when you do move on,” Zelena agreed. “You’re way too hot and intelligent to be pining over Emma Swan.”

“Zelena,” Regina groaned. She knew her older sister was about to lecture her on still being hung up on Emma Swan. It wasn’t like she could control her feelings. She tried to suppress them as best as she could, but their friendship was hanging on the line. “Please, I’ve already beat myself up enough. This whole baby paternity thing isn’t making it any easier either.”

It was in that moment that Baby Robin decided to make her presence known. At 2 years old she was loud and precocious just like her mother. She wasn’t getting any attention from the adults and now she demanded it. Her blue eyes pierced into her mother’s as she frowned.

“Mama, juice!” She slapped her hands against the table. Zelena rolled her eyes but stood up to give her some juice. They were still working on manners.

“I mean, Sis, are you really sure that you want to start all over with another one of those?” Zelena gestured to her own impatient child. She filled Robin’s sippy cup with juice and handed it back to her. She took it into her chubby hands and sipped happily. “Your oldest son is a grown man and you have a grandchild for goodness sake. Isn’t it a bit late to be having another one?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Regina shrugged. “Plus, if she’s mine do I really even have a choice? The uncomplicated way would be for me to give up and let Emma and Hook raise her. When have you ever known me to be easy?”

“I don’t know, Sis, Facilier told me a lot of things that I didn’t need to hear.” Zelena grinned. She reveled in the way Regina’s face screwed up in disgust. She was going to kill that man if she ever saw him again.

“You’re so weird.” Regina shook her head. Shoving her arm, Regina tried to get her sister to be serious for once in her life. Besides the times when they’re arguing, Zelena always had something smart to say about everything. She was the queen of sarcasm and it annoyed Regina often. “Come on be serious for one minute. I thought that was what big sisters are for.”

“Regina you already know you’re more of the big sister in these situations. All I do is sit back until you want me to beat them up. Then I’ll be serious.”

Regina said nothing more but simply looked at her sister. That made more sense than she thought it would because it was true. Zelena was always just happy to tag along and destroy things or people if need be. Regina was the Mills with the level head and that was saying something. Nevertheless, Regina thought it was time to get a hold of the situation while she could.

“Moving back to the Enchanted Forest or the other realm is always an option.” Zelena raised her glass in suggestion. “I know it’s not ideal, but a fresh start could be good for all of us. Think about it. Even your girlfriend Drizella probably misses home. But then again she has enough of you screwing her to satisfy her time.”

“First, I’m not screwing Drizella. That’s absurd.” Regina said. “Second, there’s no way you talk like this around your daughter and she hasn’t repeated anything yet.”

“Oh, she has,” Zelena chuckled. “Just in awkward places where it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“I worry about you,” Regina laughed. Her sister was just of a mess as she was.

                                                                           ***

On the other side of town, Emma was stressing herself out which wasn’t anything new. After hearing the results of the test, she was unsure of what to do. She’d picked up the papers a few days ago giving herself time to sit on the results. This entire thing was tearing her apart and she couldn’t help but feel more than guilty. Killian had been spending his days away from her at the station and she’d had to get a sitter more than one time this week. He was intentionally avoiding her, and she didn’t like it. Which is why she was putting Hope to bed a little earlier so that she could cook dinner for him. Tonight, she was going to sit him down and make him listen to her. At least talk, she was done with the passive aggressive snapping he did. If they were going to continue to stay married things had to change and fast.

Emma did not want to raise her daughter in a broken home where they were fighting all the time. She had seen too much of it growing up in foster care and she had her own trauma because of it. She wasn’t going to put that on Hope.

The baked chicken was almost done when she heard his keys in the door. She quickly took off her apron and set it aside. She had cooked his favorite in hopes to keep him in good spirits so that he would be willing to even hold a long enough conversation with her. She removed the hot pan from the over before taking the oven mitts and setting them aside.

“Killian, could you come here for a sec,” She called out to him. His familiar footsteps were heavy, and she could tell that he was hesitant. She exhaled through her nose when she heard him coming towards the kitchen. It was now or never. They needed to say where they stood. “I made you dinner.” She gestured over to the table that was already set. “I also put Hope to bed a little early so that we could talk.”

Hook stayed silent as he surveyed the table. He took a folded napkin in his hand and fiddled it. Finally, he sat, looking up at her expectantly, he waved a hand that brought her to action. She set his plate quickly making sure to get every proportion right. Once she was done she sat down to eat her own food. She didn’t touch a thing as she waited for him to say anything; something. He simply ate his food making the silence even more awkward. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Emma scrunched her nose and tried to muster up the courage to say what she needed to say.

“Killian, - “

“Save your apologies.” He interrupted her before she could even speak. “I’ve already heard them, and I’d rather not hear them again.”

Emma’s mouth snapped shut and she looked down at her plate. Taking a deep breath, she unfolded the napkin just beside her fork, she set it into her lap buying her some time for what she wanted to say.

“I want us to go to counseling,” She began. Gauging his reaction before she went any further, she could see that he wasn’t going to give her any. “If we’re going to make this marriage work I think we should go to counseling. I’m owning up to all my mistakes and I’m ready to try and make it up to you. Not that there’s anything I can do to take away the hurt from you. I just want to fix us.”

“Who says I want to go to counseling?” He asked.

“Okay…” Emma tried again. “I really think we would benefit from it. I know it’s been hard for you to even look at me but tell me there’s even a slim chance that you’ll forgive me.”

“What were the results of the test?” He changed the subject catching Emma off guard. Her mouth flopped open and closed like a fish out of water. She wasn’t expecting for him to ask so soon. She thought she would have more time to think it over. To process it herself.

“What?” She found herself saying. How had he even known she’d gotten the results back.

“What were the results?” He sucked his teeth. “By how long it’s taken for you to tell me I reckon I already knew the answer. I want to hear it from you.”

“Killian,” Emma begged. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. “Please,”

“Say it,” He clapped his hook against the table and stood with such fierceness the chair tipped over and hit their wooden floorboards with a loud thud. “She’s Regina’s bastard child and we both know it. There’s no bloody way you can spin this and lie like you have been.”

“Don’t talk about her like that.”

“ Just go ahead and admit it, Swan.” He ignored her anger.

She felt it all wash away as the weight of the situation finally hit her full force.    

Emma sat back in her chair and felt tears fall down her cheeks. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.   
“She’s Regina’s.” Her voice cracked, and she jumped as he hit the table again.

“There’s your answer to everything.” He said. “This marriage is done. I’ll come back and gather my belongings another time.”

“Killian!” Emma called after him. Her legs wouldn’t cooperate as she was stuck glued to the chair She had known this moment was coming for a long time. She just didn’t know it would hurt so much. The pain inside her chest was agonizing as she waved a hand over the kitchen. She needed a silencing spell so that she could scream the way she wanted to without waking Hope. Sobs racked her body and she shook with the pain and hurt. The loss of a marriage that she had never really wanted in the first place but had put her all into. She cried for the person she had become. A version of herself she promised to never be. Low self-esteem, submissive, and a cheater. Those didn’t mix, and she cried in confusion at what she was going to do next.

Her marriage was over.

She didn’t leave the house for three days. It was a painful three days as she had to continue caring for her newborn while wanting to do anything but. She barely left the bed and instead had let Hope sleep with her. One the fourth day of being stuck in bed, Emma had fixed herself up enough to leave the house. Killian was going to be coming back to get his stuff today and she didn’t need to be there when he was. Wrapping Hope into a light coat and buckling her into her car seat, Emma decided to go to Granny’s for lunch. There was no doubt everyone in town knew what was going on, but she couldn’t find it in her to care. She was being hit with all types of emotions full force. She was going through her own emotional roller coaster while trying to continue being a good mom to her daughter. It was all she could do.

Stepping into Granny’s she heard the familiar bell chime above her signaling her presence. It felt as if all eyes were on her as she stalked over to an empty booth in the corner. She set Hope’s car seat down before sliding into the booth herself. She was facing away from the rest of the dinner. This way she could eat in peace. For the first time, she hated that she was breastfeeding and couldn’t order a drink like she so desperately wanted. She uncovered Hope’s face so that she could breathe. She was no old enough to be out for a little while longer and Emma needed to be out.

“Oh, isn’t she the cutest,” Granny awed. “Just gorgeous, Emma.”

“Thanks,” Emma gave her first genuine smile in a while. She was proud of her daughter and how she could capture the attention of everyone at such an early age.

“What will it be for you? “Granny asked.

“I’ll take a club sandwich with light pickles,” After her pregnancy, Emma had not had the same taste for her favorite snack. Her cravings were gone, and things just didn’t taste the same after eating them so much.

“I gotcha and I’ll bring you a cup of decaf on the house,” Granny took the menu. Emma hadn’t even read it. She knew it like the back of her hand since the contents of the folder paper never changed.

“Oh, Granny you don’t have to do that,” Emma stopped her.

“You’re a new mother and you look like you need it,” Granny left no room for her to argue. She disappeared into the back of the kitchen. Whereas Ruby took her place at the booth. She slid in across from Emma and grinned wildly. Ever since returning to Storybrooke with Dorothy, she didn’t have lots of time to come and visit Emma.

“Oh, my niece is so precious.” She cooed as she stretched over the table to see Hope looking up at her wildly. The baby arched her brow in confusion and Emma gasped at how much she looked like Regina at that moment. She had been trying to deny It for so long, but it was more than clear who her other parent was. She would have to come to terms with it sooner than later.

“She’s something,” Emma smiled down at Hope. She watched as Ruby cooed at her a little longer before she set back down in her seat. She gave Emma a once over before speaking.

“You look like shit,” She said bluntly.

“Gee thanks,” Emma muttered.

“No, I mean it,” Ruby said. “I know things are rough for you right now. I get it but please take care of yourself. We all make mistakes, some worse than others but that doesn’t mean you can’t be happy.”

“I don’t even think I want to be happy right now,” Emma said truthfully. “I would just like to wallow in self-pity and guilt a little while longer.”

“That’s fine but there’s a heads up,” Ruby tilted her head to show Emma the new guests in the diner. It was Regina and Drizella laughing and giggling about something as they sat at a table on the opposite end of the diner. They were still in Emma’s view if she turned around and a pang of jealous struck her. “What’s the deal with that girl? Regina’s dating her or something?” Ruby asked.

“No!” Emma said a little too loudly. “At least I don’t think so. I don’t really have the right to ask either.”

“Well, I hope not.” Ruby shrugged. She stood and patted Emma on the shoulder. “I have to go and bus tables, but I love you. Take care of yourself like I said.”

“I love you too Ruby,” Emma gave her friend a small smile. Another waitress approached her table with a plate of food and her coffee. Emma tried to spend the rest of her lunch focusing on her food and ignoring laughter from Regina’s table. She looked up when Regina laughed a little too loudly and looked over to Hope. She felt the familiar brush of magic and panicked. “Oh no, Hope, don’t do this now.” Before Emma could stop her daughter, the infant had disappeared with a puff of violet smoke and reappeared with her car seat right next to Regina’s table. Emma groaned as she now had to go and make her presence known. This was just great.

She stood with a long sigh and walked over to where Regina and Drizella were now fawning over Hope.

“I think she missed me,” Regina looked over to Emma.

“Yeah, I think so too,” Emma replied. “I’m sorry if she interrupted your date. I still haven’t gotten a hold on how to stop her just yet. There’s’ no book on how to control an infant’s magic in the parenting section of Barnes and Noble.”

“Nonsense,” Regina said. Emma noticed that she hadn’t corrected her about this being a date. “I know it’s hard and it’s not your fault.”

“Hi,” Drizella stepped into the conversation. “She’s really cute.”

“Yeah,” Emma snuffed the girl. She didn’t know why she was so jealous, but she already decided that she didn’t like her. “I’m just going to take her and leave you to it.”

“So soon?” Drizella grinned. She could see that her presence was making Emma uncomfortable and she lived for it. It’s the least she could do after hurting her friend for so long.

“Yeah, I have a lot to do at home,” Emma said. Directing her next question to Regina, Emma turned towards the brunette who had been watching them interact the entire time. “Do you mind if I come by later? I have to talk to you about something really important.”

“Sure, come by, we’ll be there.” Regina nodded. Emma nodded much in the same manner before taking Hope’s car seat and carrying it back over to her table. She threw a random bill that was way over what she owed on the table and left the diner. She wasn’t hungry after all.

“Drizella,” Regina slapped her friend across the shoulder. “You didn’t have to scare her away like that.”

“What?” The younger woman feigned innocence. “I just want her to see that you’re no longer stuck on stupid over her.”

“You don’t kick a person when they’re down,” Regina said. Emma was clearly down and the whole town was talking about her and Killian’s break up. Regina didn’t know what her feelings were on the subject, but she certainly didn’t want Emma to be hurt. She dived into her food with a heavy heart as she tried to get Emma’s forlorn look out of her mind. She shouldn’t feel sorry for her, but she did.

What felt like forever was just a few hours later as Emma knocked on the big white door in front of her. Regina’s porch lights illuminated her face and cast a soft glow across her skin. Thought it wasn’t dark out just yet summer was approaching and the lights were automatic. She softly let her knuckles hit the expensive wood and hoped that it was loud enough for the occupants of the house to hear.

She took a step back and shoved her hands into her pockets. Hope was at the loft with her parents and Emma didn’t have much to do with herself while she waited for Regina to open the door. She had practiced what she was going to say over and over but had come up with nothing so far. Regina opened the door and Emma’s breath hitched. She looked beautiful and refreshed in nothing but a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt. Emma didn’t know that she owned such an outfit.

“Emma, hi, let’s go into my office.” Regina closed the door behind her. She didn’t need to be lead into the place where she had been a dozen times before. She sat on a couch and sank into it. “How are you?” Regina closed the door of the office with a soft click. She didn’t want them to be interrupted during their time together.

She shrugged and pulled the piece of paper out of her back pocket. It felt like a bolder in her hand as she handed it off to Regina. “Hope is, she’s.” She struggled to find the words and stopped herself. She watched Regina read over the documents. The look of realization washed over dark features. Emma shifted nervously when brown eyes raised to meet her own. She could see the tears that threatened to fall and restrained herself from reaching over and wiping them away.   
  
“She’s mine,” Regina whispered. She looked down at the paper again and then back to Emma. “A 100% match.”

“Yeah,” Emma gave her a small smile.

“I don’t know what to say or what t-to do,” Regina stuttered. That was something she never did.

“I wanted to deny it for so long,” Emma began. “I wanted things to work out in a way that would save face and cover my ass but that wasn’t fair to anyone especially not Hope. She’s your daughter and I hope my actions haven’t changed the way you feel about her.”

“No, of course not.” Regina folded the paper and handed it back to Emma. “I know you’re going through a lot at home with Killian which is why I won’t request anything regarding custody right now. We have time for that. I just ask that I can come and see her.”

“Yeah sure, of course.” Emma nodded vehemently. “I just wanted to tell you in person.”

“Thank you, Emma.” Regina smiled widely. They said nothing else and Emma knew it was time for her to go.

“I’ll uh, bring her by soon.” Emma stood.

“Thank you,” Regina nodded. “I’ll be here.”

In truth there was so much Regina wanted to say to Emma. She just didn’t think that can of worms should be opened yet. She watched as Emma left the room before leaning back into the cushions.

Hope was her daughter. Hope was a Mills.


	12. Chapter 12

“Are you hungry?” Regina strapped the last side of Hope’s diaper in place before throwing the object into a nearby bin. “I think it’s time for a bottle,” Regina spoke to Hope as if she was an adult and delighted in the way big brown eyes lit up at her. Hope’s reaction to her voice was always heartwarming as tiny toes kicked excitedly. Regina made quick work of dressing her in a sleeper before picking her up. It was about time for a feeding and she knew the infant was hungry. Regina cooed at her and got a few excited kicks in return. Knowing that Hope was her daughter, everything felt different than before. She was gaining lots of weight and becoming chubbier and chubbier by the minute. Hope was approaching three months old and Regina was seeing even more of herself in her. She could tell before but now it was uncanny just how much they looked alike. She wondered if Emma ever noticed how much Hope looked like her. Hell, even strangers had mentioned it, so she had to. Regina also wondered if Hope’s features would change so that she looked a little more like Emma.

Carrying her down into the kitchen, Regina set about warming Hope’s bottle for her. She used magic to warm it to just the right temperature before going to sit on the couch in her den. She folded her legs under her and held the bottle so that Hope was getting a good flow. It had only been two since she learned that Hope was her daughter. It felt like a dream being able to help take care of her. She knew things weren’t easy for Emma and that’s why she helped as much as she could. Despite her own feelings towards Emma she wasn’t going to abandon their child. Not now or ever. Besides the drop-offs and pickups, they had not had a real conversation. If it didn’t pertain to Hope they didn’t talk and Regina found that she liked it that way.

It was awkward sure, and she was positive that a little bit of the reason was Drizella. It was apparent that Emma had a dislike for her younger friend even if she hadn’t voiced it. Regina knew she didn’t have a reason to be jealous, but she wasn’t going to correct her. After months of hurt, she liked to think of it as her own little revenge.

Regina, of course, didn’t want them to be at odds forever. If they were going to raise another child, they needed to be mature adults and talk it out. They didn’t need a repeat of 2011. Which is why Regina wanted them to get together and talk. She needed to man up first to do it. Usually, Regina wasn’t afraid to say whatever was on her mind, but when it came to Emma she was sometimes a bit of a softy.

“You’re such a good eater,” Regina praised Hope for finishing her bottle. It wasn’t weird for her to talk to someone who could only respond with gummy smiles and grunts. Hope was attentive and focused on Regina for as long as her little mind could. She would stare at Regina’s face in awe before being distracted by a light in the distance or a noise from somewhere in the house.

Emma was on the other side of town getting her daily run in. Since having Hope her usual schedule was all over the place and she wasn’t always able to work out. With the weather being so nice today, Emma grabbed her Fitbit and running shoes and took off into the park. She was just a few minutes into her run when she spotted Drizella. The girl was already running through. Emma decided to ignore her and leave things well enough alone. Drizella had other plans apparently.

“Hey, Emma,” Drizella called. “Can I talk to you?” She burst into a sprint to try and catch up with Emma. It took her a while and once she did Emma only began to run faster. Emma only seemed to get more annoyed with her and Drizella knew why. She wasn’t going to pretend that the woman didn’t like her. Finally, Emma stopped to look at her with fierce eyes.

“What? What is it that you want?” Emma snapped.

“I just want to apologize for how I’ve treated you,” Drizella began. She wasn’t afraid of the older woman. From all the stories Regina told her she could learn a thing or two from Emma. “Regina made me realize that I can learn a lot from you.”

“Oh, Regina said that?” Emma left no room for her to answer. “Does Regina tell you a lot of things? Because I know for a fact one day she’s going to grow tired of you and your peppiness. When that day comes you’re going to be alone. I don’t understand why you even came back here. You serve no real purpose here. You’re just Regina’s latest pet and like I said when she gets tired of you it’s out with the trash.”

“Whoa, whoa, you’ve got it all wrong here.” Drizella held up her hands in surrender. “Regina and I are just friends. Always will be. Any problems you have with her you brought onto yourself, dude. Don’t take that out on me.”

“Right,” Emma snorted. Her irritation with Drizella only grew stronger at seeing her so calm. She didn’t know what it was about this girl but she just didn’t like it. “Listen, if you’re done wasting my time I’d like to finish my run-in peace.”

“Yeah, yeah, go.” Drizella backed off. Rubbing her forearms self-consciously, she poofed from the park in blue cloud of smoke. Emma’s words had stung. All she wanted was to fit into this weird town. Besides Regina and Zelena, she had no one here to talk to or hang out with. No one understood having magic unless they had it themselves.

                                                                           ****

“I cannot believe you, Emma Swan.” Regina opened her door with disappointment. Emma was surprised to see that Hope wasn’t anywhere in sight. “She’s upstairs with Drizella. Who’s been pretty upset since you snapped at her today.”               

“She told you,” Emma said more as confirmation than a question.

“Of course, she told me,” Regina frowned. “I’m all she has, and you go and tell her that I’m going to drop her. Who gave you the right?”

“Look, I’m sorry you little girlfriend is hurt but I don’t have time for this.” Emma rolled her eyes. “Now, if you could go and get Hope so we can go home that would be lovely.”

“No,” Regina folded her arms. She was looking at Emma with so much disappointment it made the blonde squirm. “We’re going to talk. Now.” Grabbing Emma’s arm, she pulled the reluctant woman into her office. Slamming the door shut, Regina let go of Emma’s arm and collected her thoughts. “I don’t care how you feel right now you’re acting like Henry when he was in kindergarten. It doesn’t suit you, dear.”

“Yeah, well, since when do you care?” Emma shrugged trying to appear nonchalant about the whole situation.

“What?” Regina’s brow arched. She couldn’t be serious.

“I mean, If I hadn’t said something to Drizella would we even be having this conversation right now, Regina?” Emma threw up her hands. “I don’t know what you want from me at this point.”

“Oh no,” Regina pointed her finger. Poking Emma in the chest, she forced the taller woman to take a step back, she stood as tall as she could, shoulders squared, and feet spread apart, she was about to let Emma have it. “You do not get to turn the tables on me when this past year I have been nothing but understanding. We slept together, and you avoided me as if I had the black plague. You told me it meant nothing. You were the one who denied that Hope could possibly be my child because you were too hung up on your pirate as always. You continued to push me away even after giving birth because once again your pirate wanted you to. We are here Emma because you refuse to own up to our actions and instead continue to stomp around like a petulant child attacking anyone who dares step in your way.”

With a long exhale, Regina continued. “Emma, you have got to get it together. This person I’ve been seeing in the past months isn’t you. Lying, rudeness, plain old mean and nasty. That used to be my thing. I know you’re going through a rough time. I’m partly to blame for that but what’s done is done. We slept together. We had a beautiful baby because of it. She’s damn beautiful and she deserves to see her parents’ co-parenting peacefully. I refuse to let her grow up and see such tension. We made that mistake with Henry and I’m not doing it again with her. So, Emma, I ask you right now to sit and talk to me or leave and don’t come back. I don’t like the idea of bringing the courts into a situation that could be resolved but so help me God, Emma, if we do the only time you will see me, is during drop-offs and pickups.” Her rant was over, and it felt damn good to finally say what had been on her mind. Not one lie was spoken, and she wasn’t kidding about the custody thing. The ball was in Emma’s court. “Your move.”

Emma began to pace the floor and she looked back over to Regina. Her tiny frame was shaking with the rage that had built inside of her for months. It was about time someone told Emma just how destructive she had become without demeaning her. It was one of the qualities she liked about Regina.

“Hope is your daughter,” Emma said slowly. Almost as if she was processing the information for the first time. “We slept together, and I know it was more than sex because we had a baby. We shared something that not many people can say they did. I ran. I went back to what I knew. I-I-I lied, and I cheated on my husband. I hurt both of you.” Emma brought her hand up to cover her mouth. Green eyes widening, Emma shook her head in disbelief. “I made so many mistakes and I just wanted them to go away. God if they would have just gone away. But they didn’t, and I hurt you. I shut you out and I made a giant mess.”

Regina didn’t know if she should interrupt Emma’s rambling. She couldn’t tell if the woman was talking to herself or simply speaking aloud and waiting for a response.

“God, Regina how haven’t you punched me in the face already?”

“With the restraint of a former Queen.” Regina tilted her head. “Now. Can we talk?”

Emma breathed and let her shoulders relax. They needed to talk. Talking would be good for them. Sitting across from each other, Emma began first.

“I want to start by saying that my treatment of you this entire time has been unfair.” Emma looked into Regina’s eyes and for the first time in a while she truly saw the hurt, the pain she had caused. “All these years I tried to convince myself that I was in love with Killian. I might have been at some point, but it was nowhere near the magnitude of my feelings for you. So, I buried them, and I threw myself into this half-assed relationship. I became such a shell of myself and I just. Everything was different. We were different. I could see you withdrawing from our friendship, so I suggested the trip.  I just wanted my friend back and I was being selfish and oblivious to the pain I was causing you.”

Tears sprung to Regina’s eyes at Emma’s words. They were spot on and they were true.

“How long were you in love with me?” Emma asked suddenly. “How long was I blind to the fact that you were practically being tortured while I was with someone else?”  
  
“Emma please,” Regina begged. She didn’t think she was ready to hear her answer.

“Tell me,” Emma said.

“Neverland,” Regina whispered closing her eyes. She didn’t want to see the look on Emma’s face. Across the coffee table, Emma was having a realization of her own. The goading against Hook, her constant snapping at him, the sarcasm. Regina was jealous. At first, she thought the brunette was in love with him but all this time it had been her.

“I’m such an idiot,” Emma muttered to herself.

“What?”

“I, Regina, I fell in love with you the day at the mines,” Emma admitted. “I thought you were straight and that you were way out of my league. Plus, we were practically fighting all the time. I just I threw myself into the relationship with Killian. I’m such a fuckup.”

Regina’s lips drew into a thin line. She hated to hear Emma talk about herself in such a way.

“To think that all this time we could have been something,” Emma said in wonder. She looked at Regina with such hope and there was something that Regina had to squash.

“Emma, I’m sorry to say that we can’t be together.” Regina began. She could see Emma physically deflate. “I mean, you broke my heart so many times. So many times. You aren’t even divorced yet and I don’t think you’ve let yourself heal. I don’t think I’ve healed either.”

Emma nodded in agreement no matter how much the words hurt. Everything Regina said was true.

“Where does this leave us now?”

“That leaves us as Hope and Henry’s parents,” Regina replied. “I want her to see us equally as well as together sometimes. I know it may take a while but she’s going to need us both. She’s our daughter and I want to be in her life. Which means we must be in each other’s. If you’re willing.”

“Of course,” Emma nodded eagerly. “I would love that.”

“I would also suggest therapy,” Regina said. “I know that your marriage with Hook wasn’t always good. Emma, you changed a lot and I think it did a lot of damage. I think it would benefit you greatly. I would be able to watch Hope whenever you need.”

“I think that sounds good.” Emma agreed. She rubbed sweaty palms against her jeans before standing. “I think I’m going to head out. I really enjoyed having this conversation and I hope we can continue our friendship.”

“That would be lovely,” Regina looked up at her with the face she’d only had reserved for three people: Hope, Henry, and Emma.

Emma gave a subtle nod before heading for the door. She was almost out of the office when Regina called to her.

“Oh, and Emma,” Turning back curiously, they made eye contact. “Drizella isn’t my girlfriend.”

She didn’t know why she needed to say that, but she internally smiled at the look on Emma’s face. To Emma, this means that she should have hope for their future. They would always have hope.

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

“Come on, come on, Regina, pick up.” Emma held her phone to her ear with one hand while balancing a screaming Hope with her other arm. She couldn’t tell how late it was and frankly, she didn’t care. After trying to console a sick baby, Emma was at her wit's end. She couldn’t tell what was wrong with her baby girl.  She paced around the nursery hoping to calm the screaming six-month-old down, but her attempts were futile. The little girl was in pain and she was letting the entire neighborhood know. Emma prayed for Regina to wake up when she heard the familiar click signaling that she had.

“Hello,” Her raspy-voiced was like music to Emma’s ear. Regina, across town, had to push the phone away from her own ears as she heard the tired screeching of an upset baby. Their daughter sure did have a healthy pair of lungs. “Oh, wow, what’s wrong?”

“She won’t stop crying,” Emma began. “She has a pretty high fever and she keeps tugging at her left ear,” Emma spoke into the phone. Regina didn’t even give Emma time to speak any further before she appeared in front of her fully dressed. She sprang into action already knowing what to do.

“I’ll take her you go and pack a bag.” Regina took the baby into her arms. Hope’s screaming calmed if only by a little. She laid her head against Regina’s shoulders and whimpered. Reaching a chubby hand to her left ear, Hope tugged at is as if she was trying to ease the pain she felt. She lifted her head to look at Regina telling her exactly what was wrong with her. She poked out her lip and gave Regina the most pitiful look ever. “You’re going to be just fine baby girl.” Regina frowned. She gently reached for Hope’s hand and pulled it away from her ear. Tracing a finger over it, she healed as much of it as she could. A possible ear infection meant they needed to see a doctor. She and Emma had agreed a while ago that they wouldn’t use magic on Hope. She didn’t think this would be too harmful. Her wisps of brown hair were now full-blown curls and longer than ever. Regina pushed a few strands away from Hope’s face to feel her forehead. She felt hot to the touch. No wonder the poor girl was crying she was sick and in pain.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Emma stepped back into the room. “I’ll drive.” She shakily grabbed Hope’s diaper bag from her dresser.

“No, Emma, I’ll drive, and you take Hope.” Regina passed the baby, who eagerly went to Emma, and took the bag that was heavier than she was expecting. “She wants her Mama.” Together they made their way out of the house and into Emma’s brand-new Honda. It was a more reliable and safe car for having an infant.

“I don’t know why I’m panicking when she should be fine right?” Emma looked over to Hope tugging at her ear in her car seat. Besides the occasional whimper, she seemed a little calmer.

“She will be.” Regina looked through her rearview mirror back to Emma. “Henry used to get ear infections all the time at this age. It was terror. But with a little medicine and lots of cuddling, he was fine. She will be too.”

“Okay good,” Emma nodded. Emma’s only experience with babies was what she had read and learned from various books and tv shows. As Hope grew she realized there was still a lot she didn’t know. She was thankful that Regina was so hands on. She didn’t know what she would do without her. “Thanks for coming so quickly. My parents are out of town for the first time and I just didn’t know who else to call. I know you were probably sleeping.”

“Nonsense,” Regina shook her head. “I’ll always be there for our baby girl. Especially when she’s sick.” Regina pulled into the parking lot of Storybrooke General Hospital. At such a late hour it was mostly empty. Carrying Hope against her, Emma tried to keep calm herself. This was the first time she was dealing with a sick baby. She hated seeing her in pain and it just hurt her even more.

“Hello, we need to see a doctor,” Emma informed the receptionist on what exactly they were there for. Regina let her take the lead and stepped in whenever she thought she was needed. Emma reluctantly handed Hope off to Regina to rummage through her purse and find all her insurance documents. After filling out piles of paperwork, they were seated in the waiting room. Much to Regina’s annoyance, they weren’t given a waiting time.

“She’s going to be fine, Emma.” Regina rested a reassuring hand on Emma’s shaking thigh. She knew how much Emma hated hospitals, her anxiety was probably through the roof now that they had to wait even longer. Emma laid her hand over Regina’s and squeezed it. She needed something to ground her and Regina’s hand on her thigh helped her.

“How did you do this?” Emma asked suddenly.

Regina gave her a questioning look. In the brightly lit emergency room, she could see just how tired Emma was. Dark circles under her eyes, the way her hair was haphazardly thrown into a ponytail, and the way her voice was just a bit huskier than usual told Regina that she probably hadn’t been to sleep any.

“How did you raise Henry alone?” Emma replied. “All of the doctors’ appointments, ER visits, school events. Everything. How did you do it?”

“I took things one step at a time,” Regina said. “Part of a living in a town you cursed means I had a lot of time to figure out how to balance work and being a mom. I wasn’t always alone. There was a certain blonde that came into our lives and she changed both Henry and me for the better.” She nudged Emma. “Besides, you’re not alone. I’m here.”

Regina was sincere. They had gotten closer over the months and often spent time doing things with Hope as a family. From dinners once a week to doctor’s appointments or checkups. Their little family worked for them. They weren’t even dating and yet they spent so much time together. God, did she wish they were dating. Emma didn’t know how she did it, but it took a lot of self-restraint from kissing Regina senseless every chance she got. She didn’t know if she would ever have another chance to make Regina hers, but for now, she was content with being just friends.

 Emma had been going to counseling twice a week. Helping her to find peace within herself, she was learning to do things on her own. After a failed marriage she needed to get herself back into the world. Before Hook, she had been stronger. More headstrong, bolder, and recently she had only become a shell of herself within the past four years.

“Hope Swan.” The nurse called out to the otherwise empty waiting room. Emma jumped up instantly with Regina right behind her. “The doctor will be in with you shortly.”

“You know we should really get her name changed,” Emma suggested.

“Really? Emma, you don’t have to do that.” Regina ran a hand over Hope’s head. She was now sucking on her fingers and practically drooling all over her hand. She was self-soothing and even though Regina despised finger sucking she wasn’t going to deny her daughter the comfort.  Besides, she could admit that she looked cute.

“I think I do.” Emma held Hope in her lap. Looking up at Regina, she could see just how excited she was with the idea. “She is a Mills after all. I know it would make you happy?”

“Yes, it would.” Regina agreed.

“Well I enjoy making you happy, so I guess it’s done.” Emma grinned. “First thing Monday. If this one is feeling any better.”

“Right, if the doctor ever comes in here.” Regina put her hands on her hip. “I don’t even want to know how late it is. You like causing quite a stir, baby girl.” Regina tickled Hope under her chin and received a toothless smile. In just a few short weeks she would be cutting teeth and Regina was jumping for joy with anticipation for those sleepless days. The endless teething, crying, and don’t forget all the ice-cold things to help relieve her aches. She hated the teeth stage and dreaded it but couldn’t wait for it all the same. It was exciting seeing your child grow and develop. Hope still looked like her clone and Emma often joked about whether she had a hand in making her. Regina always assured her that she had more than just a hand.

Two hours later, they were finally home at Regina’s. She had suggested they come back to her place since it was closer to the hospital and they just needed to crash. She directed Emma to the nursery upstairs and took herself to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Emma carried Hope into the nursery and laid her down to sleep with a kiss on her forehead, after receiving a dosage of medicine her fever was down and she could now sleep through the night, which was just the morning, making Emma dread their out of whack schedule. With an ear infection, she needed all the rest she could get. Emma clicked the door shut but not before making sure the baby monitor was on.

“Drizella is sleeping over at Zelena’s,” Regina informed her once she found her in the kitchen. “Feel free to use any guest room you want.”

“Thanks.” Emma poured herself a glass of water and sat on a bar stool next to her. “Who knew having a baby was so exhausting.”

“I knew,” Regina snorted. “You have never been sleep deprived until you have an 8-month-old regress and their sleeping pattern is all screwed. Henry and I did not agree with each other during those times.”

“I pray that doesn’t happen with Hope or we’ll be sleeping here every night.”

“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Regina laughed. “Hope is a good baby. “

“She is,” Emma nodded in agreement. She tipped her bare feet against the linoleum to turn herself towards Regina. “She charms the pants off everyone which I think she gets from me. God, if she continues to look like you I will have to carry around a shotgun throughout her teens.”

“I take that as a compliment, weird, but a compliment nonetheless.”

“I’m serious, you’re incredibly beautiful and it’s kind of a given that all of the children you have are beautiful too.” Emma smiled.

“Alright, Queen of compliments.” Regina smiled back. “You’re really good with her.”

“Really?” Emma’s face turned serious. “I’m not totally screwing this up?”

“No, you’re doing extremely well,” Regina said. “She practically adores you.”

“Good, you’d tell me if I wasn’t?”

“Did you ever doubt I would?” Regina laughed quoting Charming. It earned a chuckle from them both which lead to a long silence. They were both comfortable in each other’s presence and despite being tired they didn’t want to leave yet. Only then did she notice  Emma didn’t know who leaned in first, she could probably blame It on herself but when their lips met for the first time in a year and a half, she didn’t complain. Regina kissed her back with as much enthusiasm and the next thing she knew the brunette was standing between her open legs.

Emma swiped her tongue against Regina’s bottom lip asking for entrance to which she was immediately granted. There was a guttural moan that left Regina’s lips when her hand found purchase against her soft bottom. Pulling apart, Regina backed away to catch her breath.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” She shook her head.

“You’re probably right.” Emma tried to hide her disappointment. “I mean I’m not even divorced yet and you’ve already said that we couldn’t. I just…”

“Emma,” Regina stepped closer. Holding Emma’s head gently between her hands, she looked into her green eyes. Eyes that she could get lost in forever. “Please do shut up.” And with that, they were kissing again. This time with more fervor and much more groping. Regina almost had her hand down Emma’s shirt when there was a cry sounding from the baby monitor.

“I’m being cockblocked by my own kid.” Emma groaned laying her head against Regina’s chest. She could feel Regina trying to catch her breath after what could only be described as a mind-blowing kiss.  Lifting her head up, the usual brown eyes looking back at her were now pitch black with arousal.

“I’ll get her.” Regina didn’t address the kiss or kisses. She pulled away from Emma’s arms and disappeared around the corner. Emma didn’t have time to collect her bearings before Regina turned back into the kitchen. “Go on a date with me?”

“Yes,” Emma’s reply was instant, and they shared a smile before Regina disappeared around the bend. She couldn’t deny herself the happy dance that she did around the kitchen. She was left alone with her excitement and needed something to do with herself. Grabbing both of their empty glasses, she dumped them into the dishwasher and grabbed the baby monitor. As hard as it was to do, she went to her own guest room and slid under the sheets. She didn’t have the energy to change clothes and would probably be lectured in the morning but by now she didn’t care. She was going on a date with Regina. That was all that mattered.

                                                                         ***

 

The week before their date they had tiptoed around each other more than before. It was almost as if they were teenagers stealing kisses here and there and then going their separate ways. Hope took up most of their time and just like always they found themselves mutually fawning over her. She was doing tummy time on her blanket, now able to lift herself up, Emma and Regina were early waiting for her to start crawling.

“Come on boo, show Mama and Mommy that you can crawl.” Emma sat just a few feet away from Hope. With her legs crossed and her arms outstretched, she had been egging the baby on with toys, and praises, even magic but to no avail did she crawl. “Come on Hope, there’s some nice homemade applesauce with your name on it.” Hope lifted onto all fours and grinned a toothless smile at Emma. She could see where her first tooth was coming in and she was so proud of her girl. As she was still breastfeeding she was always conscious of her new biter but was proud nonetheless. Emma continued to praise Hope to give her encouragement. She rocked on her knees but never moved.

“Dear, I don’t think she’s ready just yet,” Regina whispered into her ear. Emma visibly deflated and then chuckled.

“When did Henry start crawling?”

“Henry actually started crawling when he was not much older than Hope.” Regina sat next to her on the floor. She was in jogging pants and a t-shirt. An outfit she frequented a lot when she was in the comfort of her own home. That didn’t mean that said outfit wasn’t just as expensive as all her other designer clothing. “Give her time and she might surprise you.”

“I just don’t want to miss anything while I’m away at work you know?” Emma sighed. “She’s growing up so quickly and soon she’ll be walking, then high school, and the next thing you know we have a college grad.”

“I think it goes a little slower than that.” Regina laughed. Picking up one of Hope’s favorite toys, a duck that squeaked when pressed, Regina waved it so that it would catch her attention. Hope’s eyes fixated on the duck, but she never moved. Instead, she continued to rock before plopping down on her stomach. She looked up to her mothers with tears brimming her eyes and a pouty lip. “Our girl is a little tired of tummy time.” Regina moved to pick her up before turning to Emma.

“What do you think of giving her a six-month photoshoot?”

“I think it sounds great.” Emma agreed. “She’s so big now and I think it would be a great memory to have. You know, besides our regular iPhone pictures.”

“Great, I’ll set something up soon.” Regina stood. “How about we get Boo some applesauce?”

“Can Mama get a grilled cheese?” Emma beamed.

“If she makes it herself.” Regina stepped past her.

“It was worth a shot.” Emma stood to follow them into the kitchen.

They worked in tandem to give Hope her food. Emma fixed plates while Regina fed the baby. They all sat around the dining room table like a happy family.

“I’m signing the papers tomorrow,” Emma said suddenly. “He’s coming back and grabbing the rest of his things. I have the papers and I’ve just let them sit.”

Regina looked over to Emma then back to Hope. She didn’t want to seem too interested.

“I know now, what it is I want.” She took Regina’s hand into her own. This caught Regina’s attention. Looking into those expressive brown eyes, Emma knew how much this moment meant to them. “I want this. Mornings with you, and with Hope, visits with Henry. Waking up in your arms. Arguing over who gets to coach little league, or whose day it is to grocery shop, getting annoyed if we watch our favorite shows without each other. I want it all. Whether you want to take it incredibly slow, or you want to move in tomorrow, I’m completely and truly yours.”

“Emma,” Regina set the plate of applesauce out of Hope’s reach. She faced Emma head-on before taking her other hand in hers. “I want you to be completely sure that you’re in. I don’t think I can survive another heartbreak.” She said truthfully. “If you need to take time for yourself I will be here. No matter what you want I will be here.”’

Emma nodded and did what she had wanted to do all day. She leaned a little closer so that she could give Regina a kiss. It wasn’t rough, and lust filled, or soft and chaste, instead, it was just the right amount of passion that made her sigh. Regina was the one to pull away first before planting another kiss on her lips.

“Our kid is a clown.” Emma laughed when she nudged Regina to look over at Hope. The baby was grinning at them from ear to ear, almost as if she knew what they were talking about.

“No, she’s just happy that her two moms are finally happy.” Regina reached up to rub her lipstick from Emma’s lips with her thumb. Emma simply smiled back. If things were going to work out for them she was happy, but it was also reassuring to hear that if they didn’t, Regina was still going to be there for her. The other woman was much too forgiving all things considered and Emma still had her worries and doubts. She would push those down and instead live in the moment with her girl and her daughter.

The next morning, Emma was up bright and early, with a cup of coffee in her hand, she waited for Killian to arrive to her home. She was staring at the last box of his things that were sitting on the counter across from her. This box would be gone in just a few minutes and it would signal an end to a huge part of her life. Her first marriage. She felt numb to the entire thing but knew she had to let Killian go. For the both. When the doorbell rang she almost called out to him that it was open, but then remembered that she had taken her key.

“Killian, hi,” She greeted him before stepping back to allow him room to enter. He gave her a simple nod before looking around the home. There were signs of Hope in every inch of the house and he seemed to be taking note of that.

“Where is she?” He asked. Emma didn’t have to ask who he was talking about.

“She’s with Regina,” She found herself elaborating further. “It’s their day together.”

He nodded and stood awkwardly with his hand in his pocket.

“Your stuff is in the kitchen.” Emma urged him to follow her. She gestured to the box before stepping out of the way, so he could inspect it.

She grabbed the divorce papers from a folder that was sitting beside her abandoned mug. Her signature was already dried and all she was waiting for was his. He read over them and looked into her eyes. Seeing Hook sign the papers, Emma felt like a part of her was dying. She had loved this man, as best as she could, and in the end, it was her that ruined their relationship. She was learning that they were never good for each other.

“Goodbye, Swan.” Hook grabbed the box and balanced it on her arms. He didn’t wait for her to speak any further before he was out of the door and out of her life.


	14. Chapter 14

“What do you think Hope? Does Mama look good?” Emma turned to face her daughter. The now seven-month-old was too busy slobbering all over Emma’s pillow to even notice she had changed. “Be honest.” Hope shook her head and Emma laughed. It was a new thing she had learned from Neal and now she was doing it all the time. “You’re right I like the red dress better too.” Emma quickly slipped her blue dress from her body and put on a red dress that was more tailored to her body. She tried to ignore looking at her stretch marks that donned each side of her stomach. They were rough and went in no direction. The marks were one of her biggest insecurities and she preferred to just pretend that they didn’t exist. 

“This one is much better.” Emma nodded her approval. The dress fit her in all the right places, especially her butt which was what she was going for. Having lost all her baby weight, Emma was in much better shape both physically and mentally. She clipped a necklace into place over her collarbone and was finally ready. “You’re going to be a good girl for Grandma Snow and Grandpa David.” Emma didn’t bother cleaning up her bedroom. There was no time to do something so taxing when she needed to be able to pick up Regina on time. First date impressions were everything and she knew how Regina disliked being late.

Hope babbled to Emma all the while pulling her necklace between her chubby fingers.

“Oh no Boo, you won’t be breaking this one.” Emma pried the necklace from tiny hands that seemed to be holding a death grip on her jewelry. She somehow picked up her purse, Hope’s diaper bag, and her keys, locked the front door and made it out to her car to strap Hope in. She now understood how mothers were the definition of superheroes. Emma arrived at her parents’ house in no time. She hauled Hope and her things up the stairs. Kicking the door with the tip of her heel, Emma stood as best she could without falling over. 

“There’s our favorite girl,” David opened the door with a wide small. He reached for Hope carrying her into the house while smothering her with kisses. She laughed, and it was like music to Emma’s ears.

“Gee thanks dad,” Emma rolled her eyes dropping Hope’s bag onto the couch and flopping down herself.

“So, a date with Regina?” David sat down beside her. “Are you sure you guys are ready for this?”

“We have kids together dad,” Emma said. “I think we can handle the dating stage.”

“That may be but dating and putting your feelings and heart on the line is entirely different.” Snow descended the stairs from the second floor. She was just as excited if not more to see Hope in David’s arms.

“You guys sound like you don’t want me to date her,” Emma questioned.

“No, it’s not that.” Snow cooed over Hope. “We just don’t want you to get hurt if things don’t work out. Either of you.”

“I’ll be fine don’t worry.” Emma stood from the couch. “As much as I’d like to stay and chat, I do have to attend this date, or I won’t stand a chance.” She kissed Hope’s forehead before giving both of her parent’s a kiss on the cheek. “Tell Neal I’ll come by tomorrow to play with him.”

She hurried outside to the car where she could finally take a breath. Her nerves wouldn’t be getting the best of her tonight. She wasn’t going to run, and she most definitely would be on her best behavior. Emma revved the engine and drove down Main Street. They would be having a good time and she only hoped it stayed that way.

                                                                                           ***

“You two are thorns in my side.” Regina was exasperated. Employing Zelena and Drizella with the task of finding something to wear was just as she imagined. Their sarcasm and similar senses of humorweres giving her a headache and she was ready to be gone already.

“That’s the one!” Drizella chewed on her favorite candy as they watched Regina twirl for them. She was wearing an elegant black dress that wasn’t too fancy but also showed her expensive taste. It was Gucci or something like that. Drizella hadn’t really caught up on the fashion and trends of this world.

“And if I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re counting on getting laid tonight. Are you even wearing panties?” Zelena nudged Drizella. “Your butt is shaped like an apple. Ugh, I hate you for having a fabulous figure.”

“Mm,” Drizella admired Regina’s butt in agreement. Though she had no sort of attraction towards Regina, she could admit that it was a nice butt. She quite enjoyed spending time with the two older women. They were always laughing and joking when with each other. Even If Regina was often the butt of all their jokes. She didn’t take their teasing as face value and of cours,e knew how to hold her own.

“Red heels?” She held up two pairs of shoes that looked the same to the other women.

“I can’t tell the difference.” Drizella muttered. “They’re the exact same shoe. What is it with women in this world?”

“I don’t know but I say go for it.” Zelena shrugged. She knew by now that it was better to just nod her head and agree to whatever Regina suggested. The brunette already took so long to get ready and they didn’t need to be sitting there any longer. “I don’t know why you bother when Emma is just going to rip it off.”

“She won’t be ripping anything off,” Regina scoffed. “I don’t put out on the first date.” Slipping into her heels, Regina felt the instant gratification of being four inches taller.

“Sure,” Zelena snorted. “Are you all done, or do we have to sit here and die of starvation while you prepare to become America’s Next Top Model?”

“OH, what’s that?” Drizella sat up in interest.

“Eat at home.” Regina magically slapped her sister upside the head before rushing out of the room before she could retaliate. “Emma will be here any minute and I want you both to stay up here.”

“Ye,s mother.” They chorused in unison. She knows her requests was a bad idea and they would only go into her room and snoop through her things. Good thing she put spells on everything that she wanted to keep private. If touched, they would have to walk around with tails for a week. Even then, it seemed like Zelena never learned her lesson as she kept snooping.

Regina’s foot didn’t reach the bottom step before there was a ring at her door. Emma was here, and it was show time. She inspected her lipstick in the mirror before fixing her hair. She needed Emma to think that she was busy and not waiting for her. Closing her eyes, she shook her head at her silliness. This was Emma for goodness sake. They already knew each other and had known each other for years. Things didn’t have to be weird or nerve-wracking unless she made them.

Her heels clicked against her linoleum floor as she reached for the handle of the front door.

“Emma, hey,” Regina smiled. She noticed the way Emma gave her a once over which caused her to smile even wider. “You look great too.”

“Wow, I mean, holy fuck,” Emma’s eyes took her in as if she was a piece of art on display at the Smithsonian. “You look incredible.”

“Thank you,” Regina tipped her head in appreciation. Licking her blood red lips, she stepped outside and closed the front door. There was no doubt that Drizella and Zelena were listening and hanging on to their every word. Emma took Regina’s hand in her own and led her to the car. Like the perfect gentlelady she was she opened the door and made sure Regina was seared before walking around to the driver’s side.

“So where are you taking me?” Emma asked. Even though she was the one driving, Regina was hosting their date. Emma knew how much she despised driving and didn’t find a problem with doing it.

“A nice restaurant right outside of town.” Regina informed her. “I thought it was time we finally had a dinner where we wouldn’t have baby food thrown in our faces.”

“That sounds incredible,” Emma laughed. They both loved Hope, but it would be nice to havean adult conversation. They continued pointless chatter until they arrived in the next town over. It was a bit bigger than Storybrooke and had great restaurants.

“Italian, I like it.” Emma unbuckled her seatbelt. She looped her arm through Regina’s and as they entered the lobby all eyes were on them. She didn’t blame people for staring when she had the hottest woman in the world on her arm. They were seated quickly, and Emma was surprised to find that they had a booth in a more intimate part of the main area.

“I think it would be best if we share a plate since the servings are hefty.” Regina closed her menu.

“I think that you should order, and I’ll take your word for whatever is best.” Emma closed her own menu and set it aside. Usually, when visiting a new restaurant, she would just order chicken tenders and be done. It was the safe option, and no one could fail when making chicken tenders right?

The rest of their date had been going smoothly. Without anyone around they knew judging them, they were able to really get to know each other. They had even found their mutual love for Sarah Paulson.

“No way you’ve only watched Murder House,” Emma’s mouth dropped. “Coven, Freak Show, Hotel. You have to watch every season.”

“Emma there is no way I’m subjecting myself to horror shows for multiple episodes,” Regina wiped her mouth with a napkin. Setting it in her lap, she shook at her head. Emma was going to try and convince her other wise and then she would be stuck with irrational fears.

“Okay but wait, Sarah Paulson or Connie Britton?” Emma desperately needed to know the answer to that question.

“Sarah Paulson of course.” Regina answered. “You?”

“Sarah hands down.” Emma agreed. “She just has that charm.”

“That she does.” Regina sipped her wine. “Do you think Hope misses us?”

“I think she does,” Emma pouted. “I’ve been trying to refrain from excusing myself to the bathroom to FaceTime my parents and check on her.”

“Me too,” Regina laughed. Sitting back in her chair she looked over to Emma. “I guess we really are parents. I miss Henry.”

“I know, me too.” Emma missed their oldest child immensely. Not being able to see him as often was tough. “Maybe we can take Hope to visit him soon?”

“That sounds fun.” Regina pushed her plate away and set her napkin beside.

“What do you say we get out of here and go get our daughter?” Emma suggested.

“I think it’s my favorite thing you’ve said all night.” Regina said with a twinkle in her eye. Emma’s smile matched her as they split the bill and left. Once back in Storybrooke and parked outside of The Charming’s loft, Emma and Regina sat in silence enjoying the other’s company.

“I really enjoyed tonight,” Emma said. “I like spending time with you. Being with you.”

“I feel the same, Emma.” Regina leaned over the console and kissed her. A kiss that was just lips turned into passion and lots of tongue. She didn’t know when she’d climbed over the console, but it was the best decision she’d made as Emma’s dress rose up her thighs as she straddled Regina.

“Babe, we can’t have sex outside of my parents’ house.” Emma pulled away from Regina’s luscious lips to plant kisses along her neck. Regina hissed when Emma gave a particularly hard nip before soothing it with her tongue.

“It’s dark out,” She challenged. Emma stopped her path to sit up and look into Regina’s lust filled eyes.

“I’ll keep that in mind for later.”

Regina teasingly ran her hands up to Emma’s upper thigh and ran her thumbs along her inner thigh dangerously close to the apex of her thighs.

“Okay, we can definitely wait another hour before picking her up.”

“How about two?” Emma jumped into the driver’s seat again and started the car. She hated the uncomfortable feeling of wetness that she felt, and she needed to satisfy her ache and now. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, never been surer in my life.” Regina nodded. Upon seeing the direction Emma was headed, Regina stopped her. “Your place not mine. My sister and Drizella are there and I’d rather not deal with them right now.”

“Right.” Emma made a quick U-turn and went into the direction of her home. Tonight, was a good night.

**Six months later**

Emma felt weird. Things were weird Regina was acting weird. From the working late, sneaking out, being away for long hours, Regina had been different. She wasn’t as present in their conversations recently and Emma felt a shift. She didn’t want to think the worst, but it was all she could. In fear of starting an unnecessary argument she had left it alone but tonight she finally wanted to know what was wrong with her girlfriend. So, after Hope’s bath, she helped Regina put her to bed before following her into their bedroom.

“Regina, is everything alright with you?” Emma climbed into bed. She had been sleeping over more and more lately.

“Yeah, everything is fine.” Regina squeezed the lotion from her bottle and lifted her pants leg to moisturize. “Why?”

  
“It’s just,” Emma sat on her knees. “You’ve been being so distant. Did I do something?”

“What Emma no? It’s not you, it’s me.” At Emma’s face dropping she immediately knew what she said was wrong.

“You want to break up?” Emma stutters. She didn’t know what had brought this on. Everything had been going so well.

“No, that’s definitely not what I want to do. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.” Regina pushed her pants leg back down. Reaching into her night stand, she grabbed a little black box and covered it with both fists. “It’s just things haven’t been going anywhere between us.”

“You just said you didn’t want t- “Emma was cut off by Regina’s finger against her lip.

“If you would let me finish I was going to say that I’ve had a lot of thought.” Regina opened the box and presented Emma with a ring. Princess cut diamonds and probably the cost of Emma’s entire salary.

“Regina,” Tears sprang to her eyes. “No, oh my god.”

“Wait are you saying you don’t want to?”

“No, I mean yes, I mean oh god just put it on my finger.” Emma shook her head. Holding her hands out she laughed when Regina shakily slid it in place. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”

“You’ve just made me the happiest woman in the world.” Regina kissed her. They were going to be married. They were going to be a family. Everything was falling into place.


	15. Chapter 15

“Mom, you’re not going to get cold feet, are you?” Henry made sure Lucy and Hope were playing nicely before standing to his full height. He was taller than Emma now and she would never get over it. She couldn’t believe her baby boy was all grown up and a father. It seemed like yesterday he was at her doorstep begging her to come back to Storybrooke with her.

“Of course not,” Emma turned from her spot in the vanity. She beamed at him before rolling her eyes. “I love your mom, kid.” She would never stop calling him that. No matter how old he got.

“Good,” Henry nodded. “Do you think Mom is freaking out?”

“No, definitely not.” Emma laughed. “Regina Mills does not freak out.”

Meanwhile across the hall, Regina was indeed freaking out.  Their wedding was small and intimate. Only 30 of their closest friends in attendance and a caterer that went by the name of Granny’s. The decorations were tasteful without breaking the bank too much. They had both agreed to have a small wedding and spend more money on a honeymoon where they could both be happy.

“Regina, would you shut up for five seconds,” Drizella wanted to slap some sense into her best friend. Since that morning the woman had been slowly panicking. “You’re going to be fine. You and Emma will be living happy boring lives fawning over Hope.”

“You guys sure do that a lot,” Zelena commented. She was helping Robin get dressed as she was a messy one and needed to get dressed last to stay clean. 

“Knock knock,” Snow entered Regina’s dressing room. As the officiator to their wedding, she was more than excited to marry them off. “Are you ready to get married? Oh, Regina, you look absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you, Snow.”

“Now, before I cry and mess up my makeup let’s get this show on the road.” Snow clapped her hands together and walked across the hall to help Emma. “Henry, take the kids down to get prepared.”

Henry did as he was told and helped Hope to stand so he could walk both girls to their waiting spots. Lucy and Hope were the beautiful flower girls and their matching pink dresses looked so well on them.

“Make sure Hope doesn’t eat the flowers,” Emma called out to him.

“My girl you look so beautiful.” Snow walked over to Emma so that she could move a stray hair from her face. “Are you happy?”  
“Yeah, “Emma exhaled. “For once in my life, I feel completely sure about this.” She had to be. This was hers and Regina’s second marriage.

“Good, let’s go.”

In less than two hours, they had been announced, wife and wife. There had been lots of clapping and lots of crying. Hugs, Hope eating flowers, Neal announcing he had to use the bathroom, complete chaos that was normal to the Swan-Mills family. It had been a wedding to remember and they would do it all over again if they could. Deciding not to leave Hope behind, Emma and Regina brought her along to their honeymoon to Jamaica. There were family friendly things they could do, and they had even found a good babysitter if they wanted a night to themselves. They were getting the vacation they deserved to start off the rest of their lives.

On the first night of their honeymoon, while Regina was giving Hope a bath, Emma was given the task of unpacking their things. It kept her busy and she would rather not resort to tv when she had it at home. The bathroom door was open, so she could hear all the splashing and laughing that came from both her loves. She started on Regina’s suitcase first, unceremoniously dumping all her things onto the bed, Emma figured that Regina wouldn’t yell at her on her honeymoon.

Emma began to put clothes away in drawers and laughed along to Hope’s attempt at singing the alphabet.

“Mama, no, is P.” She was a sponge and always learning something new. She had to be right all the time and it was hilarious to see her challenge, Regina. “Silly Mama.”

Emma almost had the last of their things put away when she picked up a white stick that had been hiding under a pile of underwear.

“Regina?” Emma called into the bathroom.

“Yes, dear?” Regina called back. She rushed into the bathroom to show her brunette wife the stick.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” flashing the pregnancy test, Emma looked down at it again to see that it was positive.

“Surprise.” She smiled nervously. Forgetting all about the test, she had been waiting for the perfect time to tell her wife about the newest addition to their family. “I’m pregnant.”

“Oh fuck,” Emma almost fainted. Sitting against the toilet, she looked down at the test and then back to Regina. “Are we going to have to invest in magical birth control now? Is that a thing?”

“I don’t know but we have to be prepared to raise another little one.” Regina shrugged. “How do you feel?”

“I’m excited but jeez. A little warning next time.” Emma laughed as she pulled Regina in her arms. “We’re having another baby.” They shared a kiss.

“Oh fuck,” Hope repeated her mother’s words from earlier. Staring at each other wide-eyed all they could do was laugh.

“Emma, your language around our daughter is atrocious.” Regina shook her head.

“Hope, no don’t say that. It’s a bad word.” Emma tried to reprimand her. She knew it was to no avail.

The Swan-Mills family was growing.


End file.
